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I 

1 


THE  SACRED  POETRY 
OF  THE  EARLY  CHRISTIAXS, 


Poetry  and  music  are  intimately  related,  and  are  both 
natural  expressions  of  human  thought  and  feeling.     The  first 
efrorts  of  rude  nations  towards  the  creation  of  a  literature 
are  poetical  in  their  character.     The  talk  of  the  Indian  ora- 
tor only  requires  rhythmical  measurement  to  transform  it 
into  poetry,  occasionally  rising  into  strains  of  genuine  subli- 
mity.    No  nation  was  ever  found  without  its  appropriate 
popular  songs  and  music,   rude  or  refined,  according  to  the 
degree  of  intelligence  and  cultivation  attained  :  and  perhaps 
a  more  powerful  engine  has  never  been  employed  to  control 
the  feelings  and  energies  of  a  people.     Hence  the  patriot 
and  the  demagogue  have  alike  exhibited  the  attractions  of 
their  country  or  faction,  in  the  stanzas  of  a  popular  song,  and 
taught  the  people  to  sing  it  in  the  streets  and  by  the  fireside. 
The  followers  of  the  Lamb,  and  the  advocates  of  error,  have 
always  been  accustomed  to  condense  the  spirit  of  their  sen- 
timents into  psalms  and  hymns,  and  enjoin  upon  their  disci- 
ples to  sing  them  unceasingly  in  the  public  convocation,  and 
in  the  private  hours  of  devotion.     The  strains  of  the  poetry 
when  invested  with  the  colouring  of  genius,  and  the  tones  of 
the  music  when  judiciously  adapted,  always  touch  a  chord, 
which  vibrates  to  the  soul  of  sensibility.     There  is  a  fascina- 
tion about  a  well  performed  piece  of  music,  which  even  a 
barbarian  will   feel ;    and  there  are  strains   of  Christian 
psalmody,  which  possess  power  to  charm  the  cold  ear  of  in- 


522  THE  SACRED  POETRY  OF 

fidelity  itself.  Inmost  consummate  wisdom,  therefore,  did 
he,  who  established  the  religion  of  the  Gospel,  ordain  poetry 
and  music  as  an  essential  part  of  its  services.  Well  he  knew 
what  was  in  man,  and  what  was  best  adapted  to  make  its 
way  to  the  heart  of  man,  which,  like  a  hostile  citadel,  is  barri- 
caded against  all  more  direct  and  less  attractive  modes  of  ad- 
dress. 

From  the  Jewish  synagogue,  sacred  music  very  naturally 
passed  over  into  the  Christian  sanctuary.  Our  blessed  Lord 
himself,  on  that  memorable  night,  when  he  instituted  the 
Sacramental  memorial  of  his  dying  love,  furnished  the  transi- 
tion act  by  concluding  the  solemnity  with  a  hymn.  As  the 
first  Christians  were  drawn  from  the  synagogue,  they  natu- 
rally brought  with  them  those  songs  of  Zion,  which  were  as- 
sociated with  all  their  earliest  recollections,  and  best  feelings, 
and  appropriated  them  to  the  services  of  the  new  dispensa- 
tion ;  at  least  so  far  as  they  deemed  them  applicable  to  the 
circumstances  and  the  wants  of  Christian  worshippers.  But 
to  what  extent  the  biblical  psalms  were  adopted  in  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  and  what  transformations  they  underwent  in 
the  hands  of  appstles,  or  of  Christian  poets  in  apostolic  times, 
we  have  no  information.  At  a  later  period  we  find  them  in 
general  use  in  the  Churches,  and  esteemed  by  the  fathers 
the  most  inestimable  portion  of  their  religious  services.  The 
apostolical  canons  contain  this  injunction  :  "  Let  another  sing 
the  hymns  of  David,  and  let  the  people  repeat  the  conclud- 
ing lines."*  "  The  presiding  priest,"  says  Dionysius  Areop. 
"  begins  the  sacred  melody  of  the  psalms,  the  whole  ccclesi- 

*  "Ere^oj  TJS  (sc.  dvayivwrfxwv)  7ous  tou  AajSid  -^aXXsTw  u|ut,vou», 
xal  0  Xaog  ra  ax^o(3'Ti;)(ja  u-ffo^j^aXXsTw.  «  Not  merely  the  singing  of 
the  psal.ms  is  here  intended,  but  also  the  repetition  of  the  concluding 
words^  (ra  ax^oCTi^ta,  i.  e.  extrema  versuum,  and  not  as  the  old  Latin 
translation  falsely  renders  it,  initia  versuum.")  Avgusti^  Denlcwilrdig^ 
keiten  cms  dcr  christHchen  Archaologic.     Bd.    J^.  p.  236. 


THE   EARLY  CHRISTIANS.  >  ~-j 

aslical  choir  accompanying  him  in  (lie  holy  psalmody.*'*    No 
other  testimony  is  required  to  prove,  that  the  Book  of  Psalms 
was  early  used  in  the  Christian  Church,  and  a  single  ex- 
tract will  suffice  to  show  the  estimation  in  which  it  was  held. 
"  In  the  perusal  of  other  books,"  says  Athanasius,  "  we  gen- 
erally think  of  the  persons  of  whom  they  treat,  we  admire 
them,  and  even  set  them  before  us  for  imitation  ;  but  in  tlie 
psalms,  cvevy  one  imagines  he  reads  his  own  thoughts  and 
emotions,  and  he  is  as  much  aflected  by  them  as  if  they  wftre 
his  own.     1  believe  also,  that  a  man  can  find  nothing  more 
glorious  than  these  psalms  ;  for  they  embrace  the  whole  life 
of  man,  the  afTeclions  of  his  mind,  and  the  emotions  of  his 
soul.     Whether  he  seeks  repentance  and  conversion,  or  suf- 
fers ill  tribulation  and  temptation,  or  is  und';rgoing  persecu- 
tion, or  has  escaped  from  some  ambush,  or  is  filled  with  sor- 
row and  inquietude,  or  has  experienced  any  similar  afflic- 
tion, or  if  he  discovers  that  he  grows  in  holiness,  or  desires 
to  praise  and  glorify  God,  he  can  select  a  psalm  suited  to 
every  occasion,  and  thus  will  find  that  they  are  written  for 
him."     We  can  hardly  conceive  it  possible  that  the  psalms 
of   David   could  have   been  so   generally  adopted   in  the 
Churches,  andjso  highly  esteemed  by  the  best  of  the  fathers, 
unless  they  had  been  introduced  or  sanctioned  by  the  apos- 
tles, and  inspired  teachers. 

We  have  reason  to  suppose  however,  that  thej  were  not 
exclusively  used,  at  least,  in  the  Gentile  Churches  ;  for  the 
apostle  distinctly  mentions  psalms^  hymns,  and  spiritual 
songs^  as  known  and  used  among  them.  Whatever  may  be 
the  precise  meaning  of  these  several  terms,  or  the  definite 
character  of  the  several  classes  of  sacred  lyrics  indicated 
by  them,  it  seems  hardly  probable,  that  so  many  appellations 

*   ^  HHX^'^  a-n'a^p^STai  r^s  Is^a?  rwv  >}.aX|ULwv  jULsXw^/a^,  tfuvct^oJ- 

^''n'^S'^)g.      De  Hierarch.  Eccl.  c.  3. 


JJIE  SACRED  POErilV  <>r 


would  be  applied  to  the  Psalms  of  David,  however  they 
might  be  classified  and  arranged  in  the  Christian  psalm-book. 
Jerome,  it  is  true,  explains  them  all  of  different  classes  of 
poems  in  the  psalter ;  calling  those  pieces  psalms^  which 
pertain  to  some  moral  theme,  (ad  ethicum  locum  pertinent,) 
— those  hymns ^  which  exhibit  the  power  and  majesty  of  God, 
and  his  works  of  wonder  and  grace,  to  which  hallelujah  is 
prefixed  Or  appended, — and  spiritual  songs  are  those  which 
treat  of  superiour  beings  and  the  harmony  of  the  universe. 
The  same  opinion  substantially  has  been  held  also  by  some  mo- 
dern writers,  who  suppose  the  4^aX|y.oi  to  correspond  with  the 
t^'^/TM^i  the  i)/juvo<  with  the  D^^llDtD,  and  the  tl^al  rrvsui^w 
Ttxai  with  the  C^'^tP  of  the  Old  Testament  psalmody. 
Another  ancient  explanation,  equally  probable  and  ingenious, 
may  be  given.  "  The  psahn^  properly  speaking,  is  harmoni- 
ously sung  with  an  instrumental  accompaniment,  the  psal- 
tery :  the  ode  is  a  musical  and  harmonious  piece,  intended 
only  for  the  voice  ;  and  the  hymn  is  an  elaborate  doxology, 
referring  to  the  blessings  we  have  experienced,  or  the  evils 
we  have  committed."*  Others  have  reduced  the  significa- 
tion to  two  classes,  embracing  only  psalms  and  hymns  ; 
while  Le  Clerc  applies  all  the  terms  to  one  class.  "  Malim 
ergo  dicere,  Paulum  idem  tribus  verbis  signijicasse,^'] 
Still  it  seems  more  correspondent  to  Scriptural  usage  to 
consider  the  term  psalms  here,  as  meaning  the  Book  of 
Psalms,  as  used  in  Luke  xxiv.  44,  and  equivalent  to  B//3Xo5 
s).aXfxwv,  Luke  XX.  42.  Acts  i.  20,  to  which  the  New  Tes- 
tament writers  so  frequently  refer  for  prophecies,  proofs, 

YaXfxog  fxsv  xu^/w5,  0  fxsra  o'^yavixou  %|^aXT7]^iK  Sja/xsXwg  g'xipcovou'- 

xilivoS  Ss  r)  S'ffiTSTayii^svr)  (5o|oXoyia,   -^  xaXwv  wv  •JTS-rov^afASv,  t^  xdlxCjv 
wv  8s5^axtt.iisv.  Euthymii  Zigabeni  Prefat.  in  Psalmos. 
t  Not.  Ad.  Hammondi  N.  T. 


IHK   EAHLV   CHKISTIAXS.  ^'^-J 

and  illustrations^of  their  facts  and  doctrines.     The  word 
hymn  is  only  used  in  one  other  passage  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, in  which  it  describes  the  act  of  devotion  with  which 
our  blessed  Lord  closed  the  services  of  the  Sacramental 
Supper.    It  is  not  known  with  certainty,  but  commonly  sup- 
posed, that  he  used  the  Hallel,  or  great  song  of  praise, 
usually  chanted  by  the  Jews  at  the  close  of  the  paschal  ser- 
vice, embracing  the  six  psalms  from  the  11 3th  to  the  118th. 
It  may  be  proper  to  remark  here,  that  in  the  original  of  this 
passage  (Matt.  xxvi.  30,  and  Mark  xiv.  26,)  not  the  sub- 
stantive ilfxvos,  but   the  participle  of  the  correlative   verb, 
CfAVTjtfavTsg   is  used.*     The  verb  is  also  used  in   Acts   xvi. 
2j,   but  is    equally   indeiinlte,    as   it  does  not  determine 
whether  the  language  of  these  "  praises"  or  devotions  of  the 
prisoners,  was  borrowed  from  the  Scriptures,  or  from  the 
compositions  of  their  brethren,  or  was  the  effusion  of  their 
own  minds,  extemporaneous,  or  previously  composed.     In 
the  absence  of  all  positive  testimony,  we  may  conjecture, 
that  the  hi/inns  spoken  of  were  poetical  versions,  or  illustra- 
tions of  appropriate  passages  of  Scripture  ;  and  the  spiri- 
tual songs^  religious  odes  composed  by  Christians  expressiVe 
of  the  spiritual  emotions  and  experience  of  believers.     It 
cannot  be  deemed  unreasonable  to  suppose,  that  even  at  this 
early  age,  as  well  as  at  later  periods,  men  of  education  and 

'■^  Augustin  has  preserved  a  fragment  of  ancient  poetry,  which  he 
tells  us  the  PriscilUanists  used,  and  held  to  be  the  hymn  composed  by 
our  Lord  on  this  occasion.  As  a  curiosity,  it  may  be  worthy  of  a 
place  here. 

Solvere  volo,  et  solvi  volo. 

Salvare  volo,  et  salvuri  volo. 

Generari  volo, 

Cantare  volo. 

Saltate  cuncti ! 

Ornare  volo  et  ornari  volo. 

Verbo  illusi  cuncta, 

Et  non  sum  illusus  a  toto. 


d2(j  iilE  SACRED  POLiUY   01 

genius,  and  piety,  employed  their  talents  in  the  composition 
of  hymns  and  spiritual  odes,  which  being  approved  by  the 
apostles,  were  introduced  into  the  services  of  the  Church. 
It  is  not  probable,  however,  that  any  were  written  under 
the  influence  of  inspiration  ;  or  they  would  have  been  pre- 
served with  other  inspired  writings. 

That  such  Scriptural  h^'mns  were  early  composed  and 
used  by  Christians,  we  have  all  the  evidence,  wdiich  speci- 
mens of  undoubted  antiquity,  can  afford.  A  morning  hymn 
besfan  w^ith  these  words : 

Aoga  ^v  Cv)^jtfTo«g  Ssw,        Glory  in  the  highest  to  God. 
y.ai  i<zi  yyjg  s/^'/jvt).  And  on  earth  peace, 

Iv  av&^u'ffois  sodoxia.'^       Among  men  goodwill. 

In  another  part  of  the  hymn  the  following  lines  occur : 

0  a/jLvo5  Tou  SfSou,  O  Lamb  of  God, 

6  UI05  Tou  *aT^og,  O  Son  of  the  Father, 

0  a/^wv  Tag  ttfjia^Tjag  <rou  xotffjiou,  Who  bearest  the  sins  of  the  world, 

TtpogSs^ai  TYiv  Siritfiv  jj^wv.         Receive  our  prayer. 

Several  distinguished  writers,  as  Heumann,  Michaelis, 
Paulus,  Reinhard,  &;c.,  have  maintained,  that  Paul's  Epis- 
tles contain  quotations  from  hymns,  in  common  use  when 
the  apostle  wrote.  Eph.  v.  14,  is  considered  the  most 
decisive  case. 

"Eysi^ai  6  xaSs!;5wv,  Awake,  0  thou  that  sleepest, 

Kal  avatfra  sx  <rwv  vsxpuiv     And  arise  from  the  dead 

Kaj  l-B-KpauCsi  (Toi  6  Xpttfrog.    And  Christ  shall  enlighten  thee. 

It  is  expressly  given  by  the  apostle  as  a  quotation,  but 
without  any  reference  to  its  author,  or  origin.  To  this  have 
been  added  1  Tim.  iii.  16,  and  2  Tim.  ii.  11—13.     Grotius, 

■''  Chrysostom  (Homil.  3.  on  Coloss.)  mentions  a  hymn  ordinarily 
sung  at  the  communion,  beginning-  with  these  words. 


THE   EAKLV   CHRISTIANS.  b'Z7 

and  after  liiin  many  others,  have  considered  the  passage  in 
Acts  iv.  24 — 30,  as  a  hynnn,  ralhcr  than  a  prayer.  August! 
calls  it  ihejirst  Christian  psa I fn,  and  gives  a  poetical  ver- 
sion of  it.  With  Michaelis,  he  supposes  it  was  sung,  or  rather 
chanted,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  Jews  in  their  syna- 
gogues ;  which  the  words  ofxo^ujxaoov  f,?av  (puv^v  <z^ls  tov  ©;ov  xo.i 
sfflrov,  not  only  admit,  but  seem  to  require ;  as  they  show, 
that  it  was  not  a  prayer  offered  by  one,  but  a  hymm  sung 
by  all  with  one  accord. 

The  composition  and  introduction  of  hymns,  would  be 
more  easy  in  the  Gentile  Churches,  especially  among  the 
Greeks  and  Romans,  than  among  their  Jewish  !>rethren.  The 
languages  they  used  were  poJished  and  well  adapted  to  poe- 
try* they  possessed  more  intelligence  and  education,  and 
consequently,  more  men  competent  to  such  composition. 
The  Hebrew  Christians  had  probably  been  accustomed  from 
childhood,  to  consider  inspired  psalms  alone  admissible  in 
the  worship  of  the  sanctuary,  and  cherished  a  holy,  and  even 
a  superstitious  dread  of  every  thing  like  innovation,  or  de- 
parture from  the  good  old  customs  of  their  fathers.  In 
addition  to  this,  the  language  used  in  Palestine  at  that  time, 
would  have  been  a  miserable  element  in  which  to  clothe  the 
warm  effusions  of  devotional  feeling ;  though  perhaps  the 
Hebrew  psalms  might  without  much  difficulty  be  altered  to 
approximate  so  nearly  to  it  as  to  be  intelligible.  In  accor- 
dance with  this  opinion,  we  find  the  apostle  James  admonish- 
ing his  Hebrew  brethren  in  these  terms,  "  Is  any  merry,  let 
him  sing  psalms^^'  without  mentioning  hymns  or  spiritual 
songs,  as  Paul  repeatedly  does  when  addressing  Gentile 
Christians.* 

In  the  progress  of  the  Church  through  successive  ages,  the 

*  James  V.  13.  We  are  aware  that  the  "psalms"  are  not  defi- 
nitely mentioned  in  the  original ;  the  verb  ^aXkiru  only  being  used, 
which  might  be  applied  to  a  hymn  of  recent  composition  as  appropri- 
ately, as  to  a  psalm  of  David.   Yet  as  we  know  that  the  latter  were 


o28  J'Ht  SACRED  rOETRY  Uf 

character  of  its  psalmody  and  music  will  vary  with  the  suc- 
cessive changes  of  sentiments,  manners,  and  institutions. 
Each  branch  of  the  Church  too,  distinguished  from  the  rest 
by  its  peculiar  language  or  dialect,  must  have  its  peculiar 
psalm-book.  Hence  it  would  become  indispensable,  in  the 
founders  of  the  Church,  to  prepare  a  system  of  psalmody  in 
each  of  the  principal  seats,  or  centres  of  the  Church,  as 
Jerusalem,  Antioch,  Ephesus  or  Corinth,  Rome,  Alexandria. 
Although  the  Greek  was  then  the  universal  or  learned  lan- 
guage, and  circles  might  be  found,  and  perhaps  Churches 
formed  in  all  these  places,  in  which  the  Greek  books  and 
services  might  be  used  ;  yet  where  the  population  spoke  a 
different  language,  a  different  psalm-book  would  be  neces- 
sary, even  more  directly  necessary,  in  so  far  as  the  public 
services  were  concerned,  than  versions  of  the  Scriptures  ; 
for  the  preachers,  if  intelligent,  might  translate  the  portions 
or  texts  they  had  occasion  to  use  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath, 
but  the  psalms  and  hymns  must  be  put  into  the  hands  of  the 
choir,  or  singing  members  of  the  Church  generally.  The 
apostles  would  naturally  devote  the  requisite  attention  to 
this  subject,  and  employ  competent  persons  in  the  work, 
where  their  own  engagements  and  qualifications  did  not  per- 
mit them  to  perform  it.  Of  this  part  of  their  labours,  how- 
ever, no  record  has  reached  us.  The  first  system  of  Chris- 
tian psalmody,  like  the  first  Gospel,  was  most  probably 
prepared  at  Jerusalem,  the  mother  Church,  in  what  is  called 
by  the  New  Testament  and  early  Christian  writers,  the  He- 
brew language — a  mixture  of  Hebrew  and  Aramaean— which 
was  then  the  vernacular  language  of  Palestine.  The  psalms 
of  David  may  have  been  already  in  use  in  this  dialect  in  the 
synagogue  or  temple  service  of  the  Jews;  and  if  not,  it  would 
be  very  easy  to  make  the  requisite  changes  of  words,  and 

used,  and  have  no  intimation  of  the  use  of  any  other  among  Hebrew 
Christians,  it  seems  more  natural  and  just,  thus  to  appl}^  it. 


THE   EARLY   CHRI>11ANS.  J29 

allcratioiiS  in  the  forms  and  declensions.  Still  greater 
changes  of  the  same  kind,  would  transfer  the  psalms  into  the 
Chaldaic  and  Syriac  languages.  The  Arabic,  diverging 
farther  from  the  parent  stock,  would  rcfjuire  more  consider- 
able changes,  but  would  still  offer  all  the  advantages,  in  faci- 
lity of  translation,  of  a  sister  dialect.  The  possession  of  these 
psalms  would  materially  facilitate  the  composition  of  new 
hymns,  more  appropriate  to  the  character  and  circumstances 
of  the  Christian  dispensation,  and  would  naturally  create  a 
consciousness  of  the  want  of  such  an  addition  to  their 
psalmody,  and  pave  the  way  for  its  easier  introduction.  Thr 
original  formation  of  a  Christian  psalm-book,  and  its  succes- 
sive changes  through  the  Oriental  or  Shemitish  dialects, 
would  constitute  an  interesting  chapter  in  the  annals  of  the 
Church;  but  as  we  have  no  positive  information  on  the  sub- 
ject, we  shall  not  indulge  conjecture,  but  proceed  to  the  his- 
tory of  succeeding  ages,  and  gather  up  the  fragments  which 
the  fathers  have  left,  as  far  as  opportunity  and  moans  will 
permit. 

The  early  ecclesiastical  writers  devoted  little  attention  to 
this  subject,  except  when  it  was  connected  with  some  public 
events,  or  heretical  opinions.  In  the  Syrian  Church,  an  oc- 
casion of  this  kind  was  early  presented,  and  we  are  accord- 
ingly favoured  with  some  interesting  notices.  There  is  good 
reason  to  believe,  that  the  biblical  psalms  were  introduced 
and  used  in  the  Syrian  Church  ;  and  the  composition  of  new 
psalms  and  hymns  was  early  undertaken.  If  the  sentiments 
of  the  distinguished  Ephraim  are  a  just  specimen  of  the  pre- 
vailing taste,  we  cannot  wonder  that  much  attention  should 
have  been  paid  to  this  subject.  The  following  eulogium  on 
the  Book  of  Psalms,  or  rather  the  singing  of  psalms,  is  as- 
cribed to  Ephraim  by  a  German  writer  :^  "  Psalmody 
is  the  repose  of  the  soul,  the  seal  of  peace,  the  bond  of 

'*  Schoene,  GeschichtS'/orschungen^  Sec.      T'o!.  11.  p.  QOO 
^  y 


530  THE  SACRED  POETRY  OF 

friendship,  the  reconcihation  of  the  divided,  the  covenant 
of  peace  among  controvertists.  Psalmody  calls  the  angels 
to  our  assistance,  protects  from  fear  in  the  night,  affords  rest 
in  daily  labours,  protection  to  children,  honour  to  gray  hairs, 
consolation  to  the  aged,  and  embellishment  to  females. 
Psalmody  is  heard  in  the  desert,  and  used  in  the  public  ser- 
vices ;  it  instructs  the  ignorant,  and  confirms  the  intelligent; 
it  is  the  voice  of  the  Church ;  it  illuminates  our  festivals, 
and  awakens  penitential  emotions  ;  for  it  might  even  draw- 
tears  from  a  stone."  The  purity  of  the  Syrian  Church  was 
invaded  at  an  early  date  by  the  poetical  fancies  and  philoso- 
phical speculations  of  the  Gnostics.  Their  doctrines  were 
poetry,  ('*  Gnosis  ipsa  est  poesis,'^)  and  their  theologians 
poets  ;  who  saw  Eons  forming  and  transforming  a  world  of 
uncreated  matter,  the  stars  animated  by  subordinate  deities, 
("numina  astraha,'')  holy  Eons  creating  good  men,  and  evil 
ones  creating  wricked  men,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  as  a  mother 
bearing  children.*  Their  doctrines  were  made  popular,  and 
widely  extended  by  the  hymns  and  odes  of  Bardesanes,  and 
his  son  Harmonius,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  second  century. 
"Bardesanes,"  says  Ephraim,  his  orthodox  countryman, 
"  composed  hymns,  and  adapted  them  to  music,  and  prepar- 
ed (finxit)  psalms^  and  ir»troduced  metres,  and  arranged 
words  by  measure  and  quantity.  In  this  w^ay  he  tendered 
his  poison  to  the  ignorant  enveloped  in  the  charms  of  poe- 
try ;  for  the  sick  refuse  salutary  food.  He  imitated  David, 
that  he  might  be  adorned  and  recommended  by  similar  hon- 
ours. For  this  purpose  he  composed  a  hundred  and  fifty 
psalms."  Companies  of  youth  gathered  around  him,  and 
learned  to  sing  his  psalms  and  accompany  them  with  the 

*  Hahri's  Bardesanes^  &c.  p.  64.  "  Quis  non  ciaudat  aurcs  suas, 
ne  audiat  dicentes,  Spiritum  S.  duas  filias  peperisse. — .Tesus  ter- 
gat  OS  meum  !  nam  inquino  linguam  niearri;  cum  illoruni  arcana  re- 
lego.''     Hymni  Ephraimi,  Ibid. 


iUt    KARLV    OHRISIIANS.  Oo  . 

hajp.  Jiiiu  these  psalms  he  infused  bis  mystic  doctrines, 
and  rendered  thennf  palatable  to  the  taste  of  his  countrymen, 
by  the  charms  of  novelty,  and  the  embellishments  of  orien- 
tal style.*  His  son  Harmonius  cultivated  the  muses  with 
still  greater  success,  and  devoted  his  talents  to  the  pro- 
motion of  the  same  heretical  cause  in  which  the  father  was 
engaged.  Having  completed  his  education  in  Greece,  he 
was  enabled  to  enrich  the  poetical  language  of  his  native 
country  with  Grecian  measures  and  imagery  ;  and  thus  by 
the  sweetness  of  his  melodies,  (rvj  tZ-j  fjLs'Xojg  rt^ivji,)  and  the 
riclmess  of  iiis  illustrations  of  the  mysterious  dogmas  of  Gnos- 
ticism, he  surrounded  them  with  no  ordinary  fascinations. 
The  system  took  deep  hold  upon  the  hearts  of  the  people, 
and  was  extensively  propagated,  and  long  cherished  among 
them,  "  so  that  the  Syrian  Church  was  in  danger  of  being 
overflowed  with  Gnostic  errors  through  the  mighty  vehicle 
of  song." 

About  a  century  after  the  age  of  Bardesanes,  Paul  of  Sa- 
mosata,  Bishop  of  Antioch,  who  rejected  the  divinity  and 
personal  dignity  of  our  Saviour,  prohibited  the  use  of  the 
psalms  sung  in  honour  of  Christ,  because  they  were  modern 
and  unauthorised  compositions,!  and  introduced  at  the 
Easter  Festival,  hymns  to  be  sung  by  women,  {-iaXix-^osTv  s)^ 
sau'ov,)  to  his  own  honour.  Mosheim  and  Augusti  doubt  the 
latter  statement,  although  it  rests  on  the  same  authority  as 
the  former,  and  deem  it  more  probable,  that  he  rejected  the 
modern  compositions  to  replace  the  Psalms  of  David.  This 
opinion  accords  better  with  the  reason  assigned  by  Paul  for 
the  change ;  and  he  would  probably  find  less  difficulty  in 
accommodating  or  perverting  the  biblical  psalms  to  his  So- 
cinian  opinions,  than  the  modern  hymns,  composed  expressly 
in  honour  of  the  Son  of  God.  At  a  later  date  we  find  the 
council  of  Ephesus  also,  though  probably  for  different  rea- 

*  Hahn.p.  31.  +  Eueeb.  Hist.  Eccl. 


'>^^  I'HK   >ACRED    FUJ-.JRi    oi 

sons,  prohibiting  the  use  in  public  worship  of  psalms  written 
hy  private  individuals,  (i^jwrixous  •vJ.aXfxoug'";)  together  with  all 
apochryphal  books  ;  and  enjoining  the  use  of  the  canonical 
books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament  alone.  This  was  pro- 
bablj  done  on  account  of  the  errors  and  heresies,  which  had 
been  so  extensively  propagated  in  the  Churches  by  these 
attractive  instruments.  Chrysostom  in  the  Greek  Church, 
and  Ephraim  in  the  Syrian,  adopted  a  different  mode  of 
contending  with  these  poetically  popular  heresies.  They 
attacked  the  adversary  with  his  own  weapons,  and  turned 
upon  him  all  the  power  of  poetry  and  eloquence,  augmented 
by  the  resistless  force  of  truth. 

Two  hundred  years  after  the  age  of  Bardesanes,  appeared 
the  orthodox  Ephraim,  "  the  prophet  of  the  Syrians,"  whose 
pious  spirit  was  aroused  by  the  prevalence  of  heretical 
doctrines,  and  the  popularity  of  the  Gnostic  hymns.  "  As  a 
champion  of  Christ,  he  armed  himself  and  declared  war 
against  the  host  of  adversaries,  and  especially  against  the 
errors  of  Bardesanes  and  his  followers.  And  when  he  saw 
that  all  were  captivated  with  music  and  singing,  and  the 
youth  devoted  to  profane  and  dishonourable  sports  and 
dances,  he  instituted  a  choir  of  virgins,  and  taught  them  to 
sing  odes,  or  hymns  on  sublime  and  spiritual  subjects — on 
the  nativity  of  Christ,  his  baptism,  fasting,  sufferings,  resur- 
rection, ascension,  and  the  other  mysteries  of  his  gracious 
dispensation :  he  also  composed  hymns  on  the  martyrs,  on 
repentance,  and  the  state  of  the  dead ;  and  induced  the  vir- 
gins of  the  covenant  (virgnes  sacrae,  (Jiaxovjtftfai,*)  to  assem- 
ble in  the  Church  on  all  the  sacred  festivals,  and  celebra- 
tions, or  anniversaries  of  the  martyrs,  and  Lord's  days.  As 
a  father  and  choral  leader  he  was  always  with  them,  and 
taught  them  musical  measures,  and  the  laws  of  modulation 
until  by  his  efforts  he  secured  the  favour  and  influence  of 

"^^  Quae  virginitatem  Deo  voverant.     Ilahn,  &c. 


lilt.   hARH   CHKJ>  I  IA.\.>.  .).,:> 

all  tlic  citizens  (of  Edcssa,)  and  confounded  and  dissipated 
the  ranks  of  the  adversaries."*'  He  is  said  to  have  horrow- 
ed  the  polish  of  his  armour  from  the  skill  of  his  opponents, 
the  melody  of  his  versification  from  the  mellifluous  strai:rs 
of  Ilarmonius.  He  also  adopted  the  music  or  tunes  of  the 
popular  heresy,  and  accommodated  his  measures  to  them  ; 
and  thus  adorned  the  salutary  truths  of  the  Gospel,  in  all 
the  charms  which  genius  and  taste  had  thrown  around  the 
dogmas  of  error.! 

I'^phraim  wrote,  besides  many  prose  works,  a  large  num- 
ber of  hymns  and  odes  on  a  great  variety  of  subjects.  AVe 
have  before  us  a  considerable  collection,!  under  the  name  of 
liymns,  although  some  of  them  are  odes  and  elegies  of  consi- 
derable length.  A  few  select  stanzas  may  not  be  unaccept- 
able. We  shall  not  attempt,  however,  to  exhibit  the  rythmi- 
cal form  of  the  verse,  but  merely  give  the  sense  of  each  line 
in  order,  without  metre  or  poetical  language,  as  is  generally 
done  in  translating  Hebrew  poetry,  to  which  the  short  lines 
and  sententious  expressions  bear  some  resemblance.  A 
funeral  hymn  for  a  deacon  begins  thus. 

Behold  our  brother  is  departed 

From  this  abode  of  woe  : 

The  mild  light  (of  heaven)  awaits  him  ; 

Let  us  pray  in  his  departure, 

That  his  guide  may  be  propitious.  v 

He  was  exemplary  in  public, 
And  chaste  in  private  life  : 
Tranquillity  and  peace 
He  manifested  to  his  brethren  : 
Beatify  him  in  the  mansions  above. 

*  Acta  S.  Ephraimi  in  Assemani  Bibliotheca  Orien.  T.  1. 

t  Theodoret.  Eccl.  Hist.  Lib.  IV.  Cap.  26. 

!  Hahn's  Chrestomathia  Syriaca,  sive  S.  Ephraimi  Carmina  Selecta. 


554  THE   SACRED  PoE'l'RY  OJ 

His  eyes  were  ever  vigilant 

In  his  place  before  thee, 

And  wept  when  he  prayed, 

And  confessed  his  sins  : 

May  they  (his  eyes)  behold  thy  grace. 

Thou  didst  count  him  worthy  to  be 
A  minister  in  thy  sanctuary, 
To  dispense  thy  body 
And  thy  blood  to  thy  flock  : 
Feed  him  with  thy  lambs. 

It  may  be  observed  as  a  peculiarity  of  this  class  of  the 
Syriac  ode,  that  each  stanza  concludes  with  a  doxology,  or 
ejaculation,  (s'^upog,)  generally  of  one  line,  sometimes  two  or 
three.  A  hymn  on  the  mystery  of  the  trinity,  is  introduced 
with  the  following  stanzas,  of  which  the  whole  hymn  con- 
tains twenty-four. 

The  standard  of  truth 
Is  raised  in  the  Scriptures  ; 
The  blind  have  forsaken  it. 
And  begun  to  shoot  darts 
At  the  Lord  of  angels. 

The  standard  is  this  ; 
There  is  one  only  Father, 
Without  division  ; 
And  one  only  Son 
Beyond  comprehension. 

This  standard  is  plain, 
Is  exalted  in  light ; 
But  opposers  have  shot 
Their  arrows  by  night, 
Under  cover  of  darkness. 

A  large  portion  of  Ephraim's  hymns,  as  might  have  been 


LU^   KAfU.Y    i  tlRlsl  L\Si 


expected  from  the  circumstances  under  which  he  wrote,  are 
controversial  and  doctrinal.  He  may  properly  be  esteemed 
the  author  of  a  new  hymn-book  ;  which  was  afterwards 
generally  used  in  the  Syrian  Chu relies  by  all  parties,  the 
Jacobites,  Nestorians,  ^:c.,  without  exception,  lie  thus 
provided  a  sweet  and  salutary  antidote  to  the  poison,  which 
had  been  hereditary  among  them  since  the  days  of  Barde- 
sanes  and  Ilarmonius ;  and  rendered  the  celebrations  of  the 
victorious  martyrs  truly  splendid,  by  his  appropriate  odes.* 
Ephraim  was  followed  by  many  other  celebrated  poets, 
who  enriched  the  hymnology  of  their  Churches,  both  ortho- 
dox and  schismatic,  with  appropriate  additions  from  time  to 
time.  Isaac  and  Balai  are  mentioned  by  Gregory  Bar  He- 
brasus,  as  having  written  many  canticles  in  the  measure  of 
David's  Psalms  (ad  Davidicos  versiculos ;)  and  the  Cuchitie 
distinguished  by  piety  and  zeal,  who  published  many  hymns; 
and  Severus  or  Seviro,  who  translated  hymns  from  the 
Greek,  and  prefixed  to  them  verses,  or  mottos  from  the 
Psalms  of  David.  Jacob  of  Edessa,  and  John  of  Damascus 
have  also  rendered  their  names  illustrious  by  the  composi- 
tion of  sacred  poetry  ;  and  Narses  Garbono  has  been  denomi- 
nated by  his  countrymen,  Kinnoro  d^rucho,  the  musician 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the  poet  of  Christianity  ;  and  several 
other  names  are  celebrated  in  the  ecclesiastical  annals  of 
Syria,  either  for  the  composition  of  sacred  lyrics,  or  the  im- 
provement of  Church  music.  Sabar-Jesus,  a  patriarch  of 
the  ninth  century,  writes  thus  :  "  Jn  the  year  of  the  Hegira, 
220,  I  travelled  through  Aram,  (Syria,  including  Mesopota- 
mia,) and  every  where  found  a  deficiency  of  learned  clergy- 
men, so  that  even  in  the  schools  of  Mar  Theodore,  Mar 
Mares,  and  Mahuz,  except  a  few  aged  priests,  who  still  re- 
mained of  the  learned  numbers  of  former  days,  none  were 
competent  even  to  sing  the  daily  psalms.     The  same  state 

'  Theodoret.  Hist.  Eccl.  Lib.  4.  Cap.  26. 


O'ib  Tfit;  SACKED  POETRY   OF 

of  things  also  existed  in  Elam,  Mesen,  Persia,  and  Chorosari.- 
1  organised  the  Sabbath  psalmody  for  the  whole  year. 
Since,  according  to  the  ancient  usage,  the  youth  were  in- 
structed in  the  psalms,  the  pentateuch,  the  divisions  of  tiie 
psalms,  and  the  prophets,  and  when  they  came  to  the  New 
Testament,  were  sent  away  to  learn  a  trade  ;  therefore  I, 
Sabar-Jesus,  patriarch,  issued  a  canonical  decree,  requiring 
them,  after  learning  the  psalms,  and  the  music  of  the  sacred 
services,  to  read  the  Gospels  and  apostolical  writings  througli- 
out,  afterwards  to  study  the  texts  from  the  Old  Testament 
for  the  Sundays  and  festivals,  and  then  engage  in  their  me- 
chanical pursuits." 

Of  the  psalmody  of  the  other  oriental  Churches  little  is 
known.  Munter  found  two  or  three  Chaldaic  hymns  in  the 
Corsinian  library  at  Rome,  which  Augusti  has  published.* 
They  consist  entirely  of  encomiums  on  the  Ncstorian  saints 
and  patriarchs.  Their  age  is  not  mentioned,  but  is  cer- 
tainly not  early.  A  specimen  is  here  subjoined  in  Augusti 's 
Latin  translation. 

Hymmis  patrum  Catholicorum  Orieiitis  recitandiis  in 
cominemoratione  Unhis. 

Hymnum  dicant  ecclesiae  ;  ecclesia  superior,  et  eccle- 

sia  inferior, 
Die  Commemorationis  Patrum  Catholicorum  Orientalium  ; 
Patriarcharum  Orthodoxorum,  Theologorum  refertorum'spi- 

ritu. 
Qui  pugnarunt  et  vicerunt,  et  coronati  sunt  in  agoneoperum 

virtu tis  ; 
Qui  pro  veritate  propugnarunt,  et  contuderunt  omnes  hae- 

reses, 
Inflatas  a  Spiritu  erroris  ;  et  dogmata  perversa  confuderunt, 
Quae  disseminavit  Malus  in  ecclesia  sancta ;  et  plantarunt 

ipsi  veritatem, 

•■'  Denkwurdigkeiten,  &:c.  Vol  TIT   p.  400. 


THE  EARLY  CHKISlliVN-.  '^^7 

In  terra  intellectuum  Christum  amantium,  et  ipsos  irrigave- 

runt, 
Aquis  viventibus,  quas  spiritus  flucre  fut  it  in  eorum  menti- 

bus. 
luitium  ordiiiis  pleni  ouini  beatitudinc,  Thaddacus  et  Mari 

ex  Scptu.'l^inta. 
Et  Jibrius  indutus  omni  sanctitate,  consanguineus  semper 

Virginis. 
Et  S.  Mraham  Capacius,  qui  placavit  Regem  Pcrsarum, 
Et  sanavit  ejus  filium  unigeniturn  ab  ipsius  morbo  diabolico. 

The  last  four  lines  are  a  fair  specimen  of  ail  the  rest  of  the 
hyynm,  being  little  more  than  a  catalogue  of  names  with 
brief  panegyrics  appended.  Of  doctrinal  sentiment  and 
Scriptural  truth,  they  are  as  destitute  as  of  poetic  merit, 
and  their  only  value  consists  in  the  information  they  convey 
respecting  the  character  of  the  liturgy  used  on  festival  occa- 
sions, and  the  testimony  they  afford  to  the  superstitious 
veneration  for  the  worthies  of  former  ages.  If  they  bear  not 
the  broad  seal  of  papal  canonization,  they  approximate  too 
nearly  to  be  compatible  with  a  Scriptural  estimation  and 
improvement  of  the  characters  and  lives  of  departed  be- 
lievers. 

The  Greek  psalmody  demands  attention  next.  At  the 
time  of  the  organization  of  the  Christian  Church,  the  Greek 
was  the  learned  language  ;  and  was  accordingly  more  or  less 
used  in  all  civilized  nations.  While  the  Romans  were  ex- 
ercising universal  dominion,  the  Greeks  still  maintained 
their,  superiority  in  science  and  literature.  The  language 
was  extensively  used  throughout  Western  Asia  and  Eg}'pt, 
though  principally  by  the  higher  and  educated  classes.  Al- 
though not  mentioned  among  the  dialects  spoken  on  the 
day  of  pentecost,  there  can  be  no  doubt,  that  the  Gospel 
was  preached  in  this  language  almost,  if  not  quite,  from  the 
commencement  of  the  dispensation.     The  first  Church  or- 

3  z 


538  THE  SACRED  POETRY  OF 

ganized  at  Antioch  was  Grecian,  and  others  in  the  Greek 
provinces  of  Asia  Minor,  and  the  islands  of   the  Levant 
followed  soon  after     This  organization  could  not  be  com- 
pleted without  an  adequate  number  of  psalms,  hymns,  and 
spiritual  songs.     The  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament  they 
already  possessed  in  a  standard  translation  made  nearly  three 
centuries  before ;  but  the  psalms  as  exhibited  in  this  trans- 
lation could  not  be  appropriately  adapted  to  music  without 
considerable  transformation.     Poetic  form  and  arrangement 
at  least,  if  not  rhythm,  would  be  requisite.     It  does  not  ap- 
pear, however,  from  the  earlier  specimens  extant  that  they 
divided  their  psalms  or  hymns  into  regular  metres  or  stan- 
zas ;  and  probably  their  music,  being  more  of  the  character 
of  chants,  than  of  modern  tunes,  did  not  require  such  dis- 
tribution.    The  earher  periods  of  the  history,   however, 
afford  us  little  information  on  the  subject.     It  might  have 
been  expected  from  the  literary  character  of  the  Greeks, 
and  the  number  of  ecclesiastical  writers,  whose  works  have 
survived  the  general  wreck  of  ancient  literature,  that  we 
should  be  furnished  with  sufficient  materials  for  a  complete 
history  of  Grecian  psalmody,  even  from  the  days  of  the 
apostles.     But  in  this  expectation  the  enquirer  is  painfully 
disappointed.     Several  centuries  pass  in  review,  and  present 
only  here  and  there  occasional  references  to  this  portion  of 
the  services  of  the  sanctuary.     Some  have  even  supposed, 
that,  during  the  period  of  frequent  persecutions  between  the 
days  of  the  apostles  and  the  accession  of  Constantine,  the 
Christians  had  discarded  music  from  the  public  services,  for 
the  purpose  of  avoiding  every  thing  which  might  attract 
attention  or  betray  them  to  their  adversaries.     But  we  pos- 
sess sufficient  information  to  contradict  this  opinion  ;  and  if 
we  had  none,  we  should  not  esteem  it  probable ;  for  even 
in  this  period  they  enjoyed  many  intervals  of  peace  and 
prosperity,  when  they  could  worship  their  God  and  Saviour 
according  to  his  own  commands — commands  requiring  them 


THE  tARLY  CHRISTIANS. 


539 


to  sing  praises  to  his  name,  and  admonish  one  another 
with  psalms,  and  hymns,  and  spiritual  songs.  Besides,  the 
injunctions  of  their  ascended  Lord  were  too  important  in 
the  view  of  their  unadulterated  failh,  and  the  language  of 
<:acred  praise  too  dear  and  congenial  to  their  fervid  hearts, 
to  be  readily  relinquished.  Various  reasons  have  been  as- 
signed for  this  deficiency  of  information  ;  such  as,  the  frag- 
mentary character  of  the  surviving  histor>'  of  that  period, 
the  efforts  of  persecutors  to  destroy  the  manuscripts,  the 
comparative  paucity  of  books,  and  the  variety  of  parties  and 
sects  into  which  the  Church  was  divided  in  later  ages.  But 
the  kindness  of  providential  care  has  preserved  as  much  in- 
telligence on  this  subject  as  would  be  essentially  important, 
and  this  we  ought  to  receive  with  grateful  contentment. 
Pliilo,  a  contemporary  of  the  apostles,  is  said  by  Nice- 
phorus  to  have  testified,  that  the  primitive  Christians  after 
the  time  of  Christ  and  his  apostles  sang  in  their  public  wor- 
ship, not  only  the  Psalms  of  David,  and  other  poems  from 
the  Scriptures,  but  also  hymns  or  odes  composed  by  them- 
selves.* In  this  statement  we  recognise  distinctly  the  psalms, 
hymns,  and  spiritual  songs,  mentioned  by  the  apostle.  In 
the  apostolical  Fathers  we  find  such  admonitions  as  these  : 
"  But  do  you  also  individually  become  a  choir,  that  in  con- 
cord and  unanimity,  receiving  the  tone  from  God  in  unity,! 
"  ye  may  sing  to  the  Father  by  Jesus  Christ  with  one 
voice."! — "  That  a  choir  being  formed  in  love,  ye  may  sing 
to  the  Father  by  Christ  Jesus. "§    Origen,  in  his  eighth  book 

*  Ilaug's  Alterthiimer  der  Christen,  &c.  p.  381. 

1  X^ojfxa  0=ou  Xa/3ovTHs  fv  svoTYiTi.  The  word  x^wfxa  indi- 
cates that  delicate  arrangement  of  the  tones  and  semi-tones,  desig- 
nated in  modern  technical  language  by  the  Chromatic  scale  ;  called 
Chroma,  or  Colour,  probably  on  account  of  being  marked  in  the  Gre- 
cian stave  with  colours  different  from  the  diatonic  scale.  It  is  pro* 
bably  used  in  this  place  for  refined,  elevated  melody. 

I  S.  Ignatii  Epist.  ad  Ephesios.  Basel.  Ed.  p.  23. 

*  Ibid.  ad.  Romnnos.  p.  66. 


540  THE  SACKED  POETRY  uF 

against  Celsus,  declares  expressly,  that  the  early  Christians 
not  only  prayed  but  sang  in  their  meetings.*  The  well- 
known  testimony  of  Pliny,  a  distinguished  Roman  of  the 
second  century,  Procurator  of  Bithynia,  and  himself  a  per- 
secutor of  the  Christians,  proves,  that  during  the  darkest 
periods  of  their  sufferings  they  did  not  neglect  the  songs  of 
Zion,  orlhang  their  harps  upon  the  willows.  When  cited 
before  the  Procurator's  inquisitorial  court  and  examined, 
"  they  assured  him  that  their  only  crime,  or  more  properly, 
error,  consisted  in  assembling  on  certain  appointed  days, 
commonly  before  day-light,  to  sing  together,  or  alternately 
{vicissim^)  a  song  to  Christ,  as  God,  and  to  bind  them- 
selves by  an  oath  not  to  commit  any  iniquity,  &c."t  "  We 
testify  our  gratitude  to  Him,"  says  Justin  Martyr,  "  and 
glorify  Him  by  songs  and  hymns  of  praise."  Clement  of 
Alexandria  not  only  mentions  vocal  but  instrumental  music 
at  the  Sacramental  feast.  **  If  any  one  is  able  to  sing  and 
play  on  the  harp  or  lyre  at  the  Communion,  he  is  not  liable 
to  censure,  for  he  imitates  the  righteous  King  of  the  He- 
brews, who  was  acceptable  to  God :  the  guests,  however, 
ought  to  regard  moderation  in  singing ;  that  only  those  should 
sing,  who  possess  good  voices,  lest  the  euphony  of  the  psalms 
should  be  destroyed."  At  a  later  period  he  declares  himself 
opposed  to  the  effeminate  church  music,  because  it  ener- 
vated the  mind  and  led  to  licentiousness ;  a  spurious  refine- 
ment having  already  found  its  way  into  the  music  of  the 
Church  at  Alexandria.^  And  well  might  a  pious  Father's 
feelings  revolt,  if  his  ears  were  tormented  with  any  thing  like 
the  light  fuging  and  tripping  airs,  which  have  so  extensively 
marred  the  devotions  of  the  sanctuary  in  modern  days. 

A  hymn  always  closed  the  Sacramental  services.     After 
the  prayer  was  ended,  the  priest  said,  Ta  ayia.  <7o?5  a^tor^, 

*  llaug.  p.  381.         t  Epist.  Lib.  10.  Ep.  97. 
t  8choene,  Geschichts-forschimgon.   Vol.  I. 


•IHK   KARLV  CUHl.^lIAN.S. 


.^41 


'■'Hoi)  Lhingh  belong  to  the  hoU r     The  proplc  iitiswered, 
"One  is  holy,  even  our  I.ord  Jesus  Chribt."     After  this  he 
exhorted  the  people  to  p;irtake  of  this  sacred  mystery,  which 
as  Cyril  observes,  was  attended  with  sacred  songs  ;  and  they 
sung  together,    <<Come,   taste   and   see  how  good    is  the 
Lord.'*'*     Chrysostom,  in  a  Homily  on  the  M4th  psalm,  re- 
marks, *'  This  psalm  deserves  special  attention,  for  it  con- 
tains the  words,  which  are  always  sung  by  the  Initiated  (the 
members,)  saying,  all  eyes  wait  upon  thee,  and  thou  gives! 
Ihcm  their  meet  in  due  time  :  for  he  who  has  been  made  a 
(  hild,  and  partaker  of  the  spiritual  table,  with  propriety 
praises  the  Father."  A  curious  modification  of  this  custom  i> 
described  by  TertuUian,  an  African   Bishop  of  the  second 
century.    "We  do  not  lie  (sit)  down  at  the  table,  till  a  prayer 
is  oirered  to  God.     Each  one  eats  only  what  is  necessary  to 
a  hungry  man,  and  drinks  what  is  moderate  for  the  sober. 
Kach  satisfies  himself  in  so  far  as  he  is  mindtul,  that  God 
should  be  glorified  in  the  night.     In  our  conversations  wc 
imagine  God  hears  us.     When  the  water  for  washing  the 
hands,  and  the  lights  are  brought  in,  each  one  is  required 
publicly  to  sing  a  hymn  to  the  praise  of  God,  either  out  of 
the  holy  Scriptures,  or  of  his  own  composition,  by  w^hich  it 
is  known  whether  he  has  been  temperate  in  drinking,  "t 
This  scene  reminds  us  of  the  picture  of  the  Church  of  Cor- 
inth,  a  century  before,  drawn  by  the  pen  of  an  apostle.    We 
wonder  at  the  rudeness,  and  sacrilegious  irregularity  of  those 
Churches,  but  do  we  not  too  often  ourselves,  carry  to  the 
Sacramental  board,  feelings    ahiiost   as  carnal  and  unsub- 
dued ?  How  seldom  is  the  Gospel  received  in  the  fulness  of 
its  heavenly  spirit,  and  the  whole  heart  }nelded  to  its  trans- 
forming influence.     Flow  many  bear  the  name  of  Christians 
without  any  knowledge  of  Christ,  in  <*  the  power  of  his  re- 

*  Cave's  Primitive  Christianity.     German  Ed.  p.  283. 
f  It  is  uncertain  whether  TertuUian  is  here  describing  the  Lord's 
Slipper,  or  the  love  feasts,  (agapae.) 


o  \2  IHE   SACRED  POETRY   Ob 

surrection  and  the  fellowship  of  his  sufferings,"  and  approach 
his  table,  and  eat,  and  drink  with  his  children,  and  go  away 
to  tlishonour  his  name  and  wound  his  cause  by  worldliness, 
intemperance,  and  other  vices  ! 

As  a  specimen  of  the  ancient  sacred  poetry,  a  morning 
hymn,  found  by  Bishop  Usher  among  the  Alexandrian  man- 
uscripts, bearing  the  impress  of  considerable  antiquity,  may 
be  here  inserted. 

'XMN02  'EO0INO2. 

Ka^'  Ixoco't'/jv  yj/xs'^av  suXoy^Cw  tfs, 
Kai  a/vitfw  to  ovo^a  tfou  sig  <rov  aiwva. 

'Ava/jLa^TTjToug  (puXa)(6>jva»  '/j/xag. 

'EuXoyifiTos  sT  xv^is  6  SfSoj  twv  ifUTS^uv  r/jixuiv, 

Kai  a/vSTov  xai  8s§o^a(ffXSvov  to  ovofxa  rfou  s'tg  Toig  tt/wvac:.    'AiJ.yjv. 

EuXoy/jTog  e/  xu^js,  (5j(5a|ov  //s  <ra  ^jxaiw/xara  tfou. 

Ku^is  xaTa(puy)9  sysv^^iig  tjjxiv  £v  ysvsa  xai  ySMSci.. 

'Eyw  sf^a,  xiJ^«£  iXs'i^tfo'v  jxs, 

''ladai  <n^v  -^^up^fyv  fxou,  6t»  rj^MPrCv  tfoi. 

Ku^is  <jr^og  tfs  xarscpvya. 

Ai5a|ov  fxa  <rou 'jfoisrv  to  '^sXyjixol  (foUf  oVj  Cu  e/  6  ^sos  /jloi-. 

^'Oti  'S'a^a  tfoi  'Kriy^ri  i^wSjg. 

'Ev  <ru  (pwTt  tfou  6-v|^o/xsSfa  (pwg. 

Tla^arcivov  to  Xsog  itfouTofg  yivwffxoutfi'v  tfs. 

A  Morning  Hymn. 

Every  day  will  I  bless  thee. 

And  I  will  praise  thy  name  forever. 

Grant,  O  Lord,  that  this  day 

We  may  be  kept  from  sin. 

Blessed  art  thou,  O  Lord,  God  of  our  fathers, 

And  let  thy  name  be  extolled  and  glorified  forever.  Amen. 

Blessed  art  thou,  O  Lord,  teach  me  thy  judgments. 

O  Lord,  thou  art  our  refuge  from  generation  to  generation. 


THE  EARLY  CHRISTIANS.  543 

1  have  said,  Lord  have  mercy  on  mc,    * 

Recover  my  soul,  for  1  have  sinned  against  thee. 

O  Lord,  I  flee  unto  thee. 

Teach  me  to  do  thy  will,  for  thou  art  my  God. 

For  with  thee  is  the  fountain  of  life. 

In  thy  light  shall  we  see  light. 

Extend  thy  mercy  to  those  that  know  thee. 

ft  will  be  perceived  at  a  glance,  that,  on  account  of  the  un- 
metrical  and  unpoetical  form  of  this  ode,  in  adapting  music, 
the  anthem  or  the  chant  alone  could  be  used.  "  On  the 
metre  of  the  Grecian  hymns,"  says  Augusti,  "  little  can  be 
said.  In  the  ancient  spiritual  songs  of  Clement,  Gregory, 
Nazianzen,  Nemesius,  <^c.,  we  find  much  accuracy  and  re- 
gularity, and  we  may  always  be  satisfied  with  the  Anapaests 
and  Iambics,  which  were  the  prevailing  measures.*'  In  fact 
so  few  of  the  ancient  hymns  remain,  that  we  have  scarcely 
data  for  a  judgment  on  their  poetical  and  rhythmical  char- 
acter. In  the  existing  liturgies  and  collections,  no  hymns 
are  found  earlier  than  the  eighth  century,  and  the  works  of 
the  fathers  furnish  only  a  few  detached  pieces  ;  with  the 
exception  of  Gregory  Nazianzen,  of  whose  poetry  a  consi- 
derable amount  is  preserved. 

Some  interesting  testimonies  are  preserved  of  the  private 
use  of  the  hymns  and  sacred  songs.  Thus  Clemens  Alex, 
describes  the  pious  man,  as  "  continually  blessing,  praising, 
singing  and  presenting  hymns  to  God  the  Lord  of  all  ;'* 
being  assisted  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  "  without  whose 
aid  it  was  impossible  to  sing,  either  in  good  rhyme,  tune, 
metre,  or  harmony.'"^  "  A  good  Christian's  fife  is  a  con- 
tinued festival,  his  sacrifices  are  prayer  and  praises,  reading 
of  the  Scriptures  before  meat,  and  singing  of  psalms  and 
hymns  at   meaft     Hence,  in  their  feasts  and  banquets, 

*  Origen  De  Oral.     *  6.  Kings  Primitive  Church.  Pt.  2.  p.  7. 
t  Clemens.  Alex.  Stromat.  Lib,  7. 


544  THE  SACRED  POETRY  OF 

''  when  they  drank  to  one  another,  they  sung  an  hymn,  there- 
in blessing  God  for  his  inexpressible  gifts  towards  mankind 
both  as  to  their  bodies  and  souls."*  "Let  no  festival  occa- 
sion pass,''  says  Cyprian,!  ''  without  celebrating  this  celes- 
tial grace.  Let  the  solemn  festival  resound  with  psalms,  the 
precious  viands  of  the  soul.  U  we  have  a  spiritual  relish, 
these  pious  affections  will  charm  our  ears."  Tertullian 
urges  it  as  a  strong  objection  to  the  marriage  of  a  female  be- 
liever with  an  unbeliever,  that  they  would  be  unable  to  sing 
in  sweet  accord.  <'  What  would  her  husband  sing  to  her  ? 
Or  what  would  she  sing  to  her  husband  ?"  But  if  both  were 
pious,  *•' psalms  and  hymns  would  resound  betweea  them, 
and  they  would  mutually  excite  one  another,  who  shall  sing 
unto  God  best,  "j  Chrysostom  earnestly  exhorts  the  men 
to  teach  their  wives  and  children  appropriate  hymns,  to  be 
sung  in  their  various  employments,  and  especially  at  the  ta- 
ble ;  "  because  such  spiritual  songs  were  an  excellent  anti- 
dote to  temptation  :  for  as  the  devil  is  no  where  more  busy 
to  draw  us  into  his  net,  than  at  the  table,  tempting  us  to  in- 
temperance or  excessive  indulgence  ;  so  we  must  diligently 
prepare  ourselves  with  psalms  both  before  and  at  table  ;  and 
again  when  we  rise  from  the  table  we  must  sing  spiritual 
songs  to  the  praise  of  God  with  our  wives  and  children."§ 
'--Admonish  and  edify  one  another  with  psalms  and 
hymjis  and  spiritual  songs.  Behold  how  carefully  the 
apostle  avoids  imposing  burdensome  duties.  Since  reading 
may  be  laborious,  and  burdensome,  he  directs  you  not  to 
the  history  but  to  the  psalms,  by  which  you  may  at  the  same 
time  inspire  your  heart  with  serenity,  and  imperceptibly  al- 
leviate the  burden  of  your  cares.  With  hyrnns  and  spi- 
ritual  songs.     Your  children  are   still  learning   Satan's 

*  Ibid.  Lib.  6. 

f  Epist.  ad  Donat.  Cave's  Primitive  Christianity.  Pt.  1.  Ch.  9. 
t  Ad  Uxor.  Lib.  2.  quoted  by  King. 

*  Chrysostom  in  Ps.  41,  quoted  by  Cave. 


llli.    LAKLV    l.lliU^  1  lAX.S.  o45 

thongs  aji<l  dances,  like  cooks,  caterers,  and  dancing  mabtcrf-, 
but  a  psalm  no  one  learns.  It  is  even  deemed  something  ot" 
^vliich  a  man  should  be  ashamed,  something  ludicrous,  or 
ridiculous.  Ilcncc  the  propagation  of  every  evil;  for  the 
growth  of  the  plant  will  be  in  proportion  to  the  (piality  of 
the  soil ;  and  the  fruit  will  bear  the  same  character.  If 
planted  in  a  sandy  or  saline  soil,  such  also  will  be  the  fruil. 
but  if  in  sweet  and  fertile  ground,  a  similar  diilerence  will 
appear  in  the  production.  The  doctrines  of  the  Bible  are  a 
fountain,  which  waters  the  soul.  Teach  then  your  children 
to  sing  those  psalms  full  of  wisdom,  enjoining  temperance 
and  self-government,  and  especially  avoidance  of  intercourse 
with  the  wicked.''* 

The  alternate  or  responsive  mode  of  singing  was  intro- 
duced into  the  Christian  services  at  an  early  date,  and  much 
earlier  in  the  Oriental,  than  in  the  Western  Churches.  The 
Syrian  Church,  it  is  said,  claimed  the  honour  of  first  adopt- 
ing this  kind  of  music.  It  was  established  in  Antioch  be- 
fore the  time  of  Constantine,  by  Ignatius,  a  Bishop,  who, 
according  to  Syrian  tradition,  was  instructed  in  a  vision  to 
imitate  the  songs  of  the  Seraphim.  At  a  later  date,  two 
monks  are  also  said  to  have  rendered  their  names  illustrious 
by  introducing  the  (L>vouff  avT»(pwveus)  responsive  hymns  into 
the  Church  of  Antioch.  t  These  statements  arc  reconciled, 
by  supposing  that  the  former  refers  to  the  Syriac,  the  latter 
to  tlie  Greek  Church  in  Antioch.  From  this  region,  it  gra- 
dually spread  to  the  West.  Chrysostom  found  it  established 
in  Constantinople  when  he  settled  in  that  capital,  and  Am- 
brose introduced  it  into  his  Church  at  Milan;  from  whence 
it  soon  extended  generally  through  the  Western  Churches. 
Sometimes  the  officiating  priest  or  priests,  as  choristers,  sang 

^  Ibid.  Hoin.  IX.  in  Epist.  ad  Col. — See  Der  heiligc  Chrysosto- 
mils,  &c.  by  Leander  Van  Ess.  [Darmstadt  18^4.) 
+  ThpodoreM  Hist.  Eccl.  Lib.  II.  Cap.  IP. 

1  K 


546  THE  SACRED  POETRY  OF 

the  principal  part  of  the  hymn,  and  left  the  people  merelj 
to   respond  the  chorus,  doxology,  or  amen  ;  sometimes  a 
choir  was  organized  to  lead,  while  the  congregation  merely 
uttered  the  responses  :  and  in  other  cases,  the  congregation 
itself  was  divided  in  some  way,  and  taught  to  sing  alternate 
stanzas.     The  worship  of  the  Christians  described  by  Pliny, 
is   supposed   to   have   been  of  this  character.     "Carmen 
Christo,  quasi  Deo,  dicere  secum  invicem."     On  any  other 
supposition  it  is  difficult  to  give  a  natural  and  consistent  in- 
terpretation to  the  words.     Basil  the  Great,  of  Caesarea  in 
(-'appadocia,  has  given  in  one  of  his  Epistles,  a  distinct  ac- 
count of  this  species  of  music  in  his  description  of  a  noctur- 
nal service.     "  Our  customs  and  rites  are  the  same,  which 
are  practised  in  all  other  Churches.     Daring  the  night,  the 
people  assemble  at  the  house  of  prayer,  and  with  sorrow, 
anguish,  and  tears  confess  their  sins  to  God.     At  last  arising 
from  prayers,  they  arrange  themselves  for  the  psalmody,  and 
now,  being  divided  into  two  parts  they  sing  alternately  to 
each  other,  {6i-)(7)  Siavsif^ri^svrss  avTj>]>aXXou(riv  aXXtiXoif,)  which, 
at  the  same  time,  gives  more  force  to  the  words,  and  serves 
to  fix  the  attention,  and  prevent  wandering  of  thoughts : 
then  again  they  enjoin  upon  one  to  commence  the  tune,  and 
the  rest  accompany  him  :  and  thus  by  this  variety  of  psalm- 
ody intermingled  with  prayer  they  pass  the  night ;  and  at  the 
dawn  of  the  morning  all  unite  with  one  voice  and  one  heart 
iu  a  psalm  of  confession  to  God,  and  every  one  in  his  own 
language  makes  his  penitential  acknowledgements."     Philo, 
it  is  said,*  has  mentioned  this  practice  as  existing,  even  in 
iiis  time,  among  the  Christians,  who  derived  it  from  the 
Jew?.    If  this  testimony  is  correct,  it  must  have  been  intro- 
duced in  the  days  of  the  apostles  ;  and  if  it  had,  from  the 
days  of  David,  and  even  of  Moses,  as  some  maintain,  occu- 
pied a  place  in  the  services  of  the  Jewish  sanctuary,  and 

*  Hang's  Alterthlimer  der  Christen,  p.  379. 


THE  EARLY  CHRISTIAN?.  o47 

was  not  in  itself  unlawlal,  or  inapproprialc,  we  cannot  deem 
it  improbable  that  Hebrew  Christians,  who  still  retained 
all  the  attachment  of  early  impressions  and  aasociations, 
should  transfer  this  favourite  mode  of  sacred  praise  to  the 
Christian  Church.  "  It  was  probably  such  psalms,"  says 
Schoene,*  "  that  the  Emperor  Theodosius  the  Great  used 
to  sing  with  his  sister,  early  every  morning,  to  the  praise  of 
God  in  imitation  of  the  customs  of  monastic  life." 

The  Christian  doxology  formed  a  part  of  the  ordinary 
worship  at  an  early  period,  although  the  precise  time  or 
manner  of  its  introduction  remains  unknown.  It  is  not  dis- 
tinctly noticed  in  the  annals  of  Christian  antiquity,  until  the 
Arian  controversy  gave  it  a  degree  of  prominence,  which  it 
had  not  before  possessed.  During  the  progress  of  this  con- 
flict, it  became  the  watchword  of  sectarianism.  According  to 
the  testimony  of  Philostorgius,  Flavian  of  Antioch  collected 
an  assembly  of  monks,  and  exclaimed,  Ao'^a  TraT^j,  xai  ui-ii,  xa* 
ayi(f}  rfvsCii.ari !  "  Glory  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to 
the  Holy  Ghost!"  which  constituted  the  symbol  of  the  or- 
thodox faith.  Cassianus  informs  us,  that  in  Gaul  one  choris- 
ter sings  tlie  psalm,  and  at  the  close,  the  whole  congregation 
rose  and  sang,  Gloria  et  patri,  et  filio,  et  spiritui  sancto. 
The  Arians  chanted'the  varied  form,  A6|a  iraT^/  <5»'  u»ou  iv  ayi'^j 
"jrvsjjULaTj !  '*  Glory  to  the  Father  through  the  Son  in  or  by 
the  Holy  Ghost !"  Leontius,  a  Bishop  of  Antioch,  wlio  en- 
deavoured to  conceal  his  real  sentiments,  and  refused  to 
join  either  party,  although  Theodoret  places  him  among  the 
Arians,  in  chanting  the  doxology,  uttered  the  words  so  in- 
distinctly, that  it  was  impossible  to  ascertain  whether  he 
said  xai,  or  5<a,  or  ^v,  and  only  made  the  concluding  words, 
slg  Touf  aiutvas  twv  aiwvwv,  distinctly  audible.!  Basil  some- 
times said,  Aoga  rrarft  f^e^'  vi'2  xai  fAf^'  uyh  <v£j|aaT» — "  Glory  to 
the  Father  with  the  Son,  and  with  the  Holy  Ghost ;"  and 

*  Geschichts-forsehungen,  Vol.  II.  p.  193. 
f  Theodoreti  Hist.  Eccl.  Lib.  II.  Cap.  10. 


548  THE  SACRED  POETRY  OF 

at  others,  Ao|a  ^ar^i  61  um  iv  ayh  <rtvsvikarf — "  Glory  to  the  Fa- 
ther through  the  Son  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  To  avoid  suspi- 
cion, he  apologized  for  this  variety  of  expression  by  refer- 
ring to  the  ancient  tradition,  which  warranted  both.  When 
at  a  later  period,  the  Arians  themselves  were  divided  into 
separate  parties,  new  nnodifications  of  the  doxology  were 
still  used  as  the  distinctive  Shibboleth.  The  Semi-arians 
sang,  fjue^'  ulou,  "  with  the  Son  ;"  the  Homoiousianists,  ^t/ coj 
uioy,  "  by  the  Son ;"  while  the  more  rigid  advocates  of  Arius 
added  ^v,  W  ovx  '?v,  or  ^v  gvjore  oux  ?v — "  He  was,  yet  there 
was  a  time  when  he  was  not.*'  The  orthodox  on  the  other 
hand  unwilling  to  be  surpassed  in  accuracy  of  definition,  or 
distinctness  of  expression,  appended,  by  authority  of  a  coun- 
cil, the  characteristic  clause  still  retained,  with  some  varia- 
tion, in  the  liturgy  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  "  sicut  erat  in 
principio,  et  nunc,  et  semper,  et  in  secula  seculorum,  Amen." 
As  he  (or  it)  was  in  the  beginning,  is  now,  and  always,  and 
forevermore.  Amen.  Thus  one  of  the  most  sacred  portions 
of  the  worship  of  the  Church  mihtant,  in  which  it  was  de- 
signed to  approximate  most  closely  to  the  services  of  the 
Church  above,  degenerated  into  the  mere  watchword  of  a 
party,  and. the  signal  for  strife  and  controversy. 

On  special  occasions,  another,  called  the  great  doxology 
was  sung,  which  consisted  of  the  song  of  the  angels,  "  Glory 
to  God  in  the  highest,  &;c.,"  variously  modified.  Chrysos- 
tom  calls  it  the  ufxvoj  tuv  avw,  or  u/xvo?  twv  -/b^ov^'i^ — *'the 
hymn  of  the  Cherubim."  This  doxology  was  sometimes 
expanded  into  a  hymn  of  considerable  length.  As  a  speci- 
men, the  version  of  Gregory  Nazianzen  here  deserves  a 
place. 

Ao|a  %sCi  TtaT^tf  xou  i/Jw  '^ra^fSadi'Krj'i ! 

'H  THIOLS  sig  &605  ItfTiv,  iV  sxTKfSf  ftlvridz  Ta  'r^dyra. 
OuPwvov  ouPrtv;wv,  yiy^U/.v  i'7rip(^ov/wv, 


THE   EARLV   «,1IKI>  T  I A  \>.  .>49 

ITovrov,  Xtti  ittTa^ovSy  xai  '!friy as  "jrXritffv  hvS^uiv, 
TIavra  ^woyovwv  Tveiifxarog  t^  l6io\j  '. 
"0(p^a  (fo(pov  xri(fTr,v  ttada.  xr'idii  i^ivi^tJsiSf 
Tou  ^^v,  Toy  T5  ja^vsiv,  amov  ovra  julovov. 
*H  X071X11  66  fAaXitfra  <p;;(ri5  61a  <avcog  asitfr;, 
'fi?  /SatfiXTja  fjL^7av,  cljg  aya^ov  'rrare^Uy 
Tlvsuixari,  xai  4'^X?1»  '^"'  y^'^'Trvf,  xal  oiavoia, 
^os  xal  i^ioi  xa^«j^'j)ff  So^oXoysTv  05,  cars^  ! 

Glory  (.0  God  most  high,  Father  of  all  ; 

And  to  the  Son,  the  dniversul  King  ; 

And  Spirit,  all  divine,  and  ever  blessM. 

The  Three  one  God,  who  made  and  fills  all  things — 

The  heavens  with  spirits  and  the  earth  with  men, 

The  deep,  the  streams,  and  fountains  all  with  life ; 

By  his  own  Spirit  animating  all : 

That  all  things  made  might  praise  their  wise  Creator ; 

The  only  Father  of  their  life  and  being  : 

That  creatures  rational  might  celebrate 

The  Mighty  King,  the  Father  ever  good, 

With  soul  and  spirit,  tongue  and  intellect, 

Father,  may  I  sincerely  sing  this  praise. 

Hilary  has  compressed  the  substance  of  this  doxology  into 
a  smaller  compass. 

Gloria  tibi  Domine  !  Glory  be  to  thee,  O  Lord  ! 

Gloria  unigenito  !  Glory  to  thine  only  Son, 

Cum  Spiritu  Paracleto!  With  the  Spirit,  Comforter, 

Nunc  per  omne  seculum.  Now  and  evermore. 

The  Grand  Te  Deum,  ascribed  to  Ambrose,  is  the  most 
extensive  paraphrase  of  this  part  of  the  ecclesiastical  ser- 
vice, which  has  been  transmitted  to  us  from  ancient  times. 
It  commences  with  the  following  truly  sublime  verses. 


.?50  THE  SACRED  POETRY  OF 

Te  Deum  laudamus  !  Te  Dominum  confitemur  : 

Te  aeternum  patrem  omnis  terra  veneratur  : 

Tibi  omnes  angeli,  Tibi  coeli  et  universae  potestates, 

Tibi  Cherubim  et  Seraphim,  inaccessibili  voce  proclamant, 

Sanctus  !  sanctus  !  sanctus  !   Dominus  Deus  Sabaoth ! 

Pleni  sunt  coeli  et  terra  majestatis  gloria  Tuae. 

Thee,  O  God,  we  praise  !  Thee,  0  Lord,  we  acknowledge  ! 

Thee,  the  eternal  Father,  the  whole  earth  venerates : 

To  Thee  all  the  angels,  to  Thee  the  heavens  and  universal 
powers. 

To  Thee  Cherubim  and  Seraphim,  in  strains  inimitable  ex- 
claim. 

Holy  !  holy  !  holy  !  Lord  God  of  Sabaoth  ! 

The  heavens  and  the  earth  are  full  of  the  majesty  of  tliy 
glory  ! 

This  was  deemed  one  of  the  highest  and  holiest  services 
of  the  Chucrh,  and  Bishops  alone  at  a  later  period  were  per- 
mitted to  use  it  on  Sabbath  days  and  festivals  ;  except  Easter 
day,  when,  if  no  Bishop  was  present,  a  Presbyter  was  al- 
lowed to  sing  it,  as  it  was  considered  too  important  a  part 
of  the  service  to  be  omitted  on  this  solemn  occasion.  A 
similar  practice  prevailed  in  the  Lutheran  Church  in  Sax- 
ony in  former  days,  where  the  general  Superintendant,  on 
the  three  great  Festivals  introduced  the  solemnities  by  sing- 
ing the  Gloria  in  excelsis  Deo.* 

Intimately  connected  wdth  the  doxology,  and  similar  in 
their  use  among  the  primitive  Christians,  were  the  Trisagi- 
11711  and  Hallelujah.  The  words  of  the  T^iffayjov,  or  Thrice 
Holy,  were  taken  from  the  vision  of  Isaiah,  (ch.  6.)  "  Holy, 
holy,  holy,  is  the  Lord  of  Hosts  ;  the  whole  earth  is  full  of 
his  glory  !"  Chrysostom  mentions  its  use  as  an  ancient  cus- 
tom in  his  day.     "  The  martyrs  participate  in  our  choruses 

*  Aiigusti,  Denkwiirdigkeiten,  <fec.  Vol.  V.  p.  225. 


THK  BARLV  CHRISIIANS. 


551 


and  mystical  son^s ;  for  while  they  were  here  in  the  body 
they  took  part  in  the  holy  mysteries,  and  sang  with  Cheru- 
bim the  song  of  Thrice  Holy."      "  By  which,"  says  Au- 
gusti,  ''  he  gives  us  to  understand,  that  the  martyrs  during 
their  lifetime  in  company  with  other  Christians  sang  the  Tris- 
agium  in  the  celebration  of  the  mysteries,   or  Eucharist. 
But  according  to  his  usual  practice,   as  if  he  had  already 
said  too  much,   he  breaks  otF  with  the  words,  *' Jcrs  o»  fxur,- 
^ivTSs — *'  the  initiated  understand.'*    This  part  of  the  service, 
like  the  doxology,  was  made  during  the  ancient  controver- 
sies a  test  of  orthodoxy,  and  was  from  time  to  time  modified 
into  accordance  with  the  sentiments  of  the  worshippers. 
The  council  of  Chalcedon  gave  the  following  version:  ""Ayioj 
0  ^tos,  a.yioi  <V)(i;Poj,  ayios  dSavaco^,  sXe'r]fl'ov  '*j(xag  !"      "Holy  God, 
holy  Mighty  One,   holy  Eternal,   have  mercy  on  us  !'*     A 
Monophysite  Bishop  of  Antioch  added  the  words,    6  tfrau^oj- 
ficig  6i  f/fxaj,  and  an  opposer  soon  after,  retaining  the  appen- 
dage, prefixed  to  it,  x^j^ts  j^ugCK-cZ — "  Christ,  O  King,  who 
wast  crucitied  for  us."     How  often,  on  what  occasions,  and 
in  what  particular  connection  these   words  were  sung,  we 
are  not  informed.     The  Hallelujah  was  principally  used 
during  the  interval  between   Easter  and  Whitsuntide.     Au- 
gustine informs  us  that,  "  Alleluja  etiam  in  aliis  diebus  can- 
tatur  alibi  atque  alibi,  ipsis  autem  Quinquaginta  diebus  ubi- 
que" — "  the  Hallelujah  was  also  sung  here  and  there  on 
other  days,  but  during  the  fifty  days  every  where."     The 
word  is  thus  illustrated  by  the  same  distinguished  father : 
"  Our  praises  are  a  Hallelujah.     But  what  is  a  Hallelujah  ? 
It  is  a  Hebrew  word  :  Hallelujah,  praise  the  Lord  :  Hallelu- 
jah, praise  God.     Let  us  sing  it,  and  mutually  excite  each 
other  to  praise  God  ;  and  thus  while  we  speak  with  the  heart 
better  than  with  the  harp,  let  us  sing  Hallelujah,  praise  to 
God  ;  and  when  we  have  sung,  we  retire  on  account  of  in- 
firmity to  refresh  our  bodies."     Some  of  the  celebrated  the- 
ologians of  the  middle  ages,  as  Anselm,  Durandus,  Alcuin, 


552  THE  SACRED  POETRY  OF 

and  others,  finding  the  word  but  once  in  the  New-Tcs-' 
tament,  and  nowhere  in  the  Latin  or  Greek  authors,  and 
unacquainted  with  its  Hebrew  origin,  supposed  it  to  be  im- 
mediately revealed  from  heaven  as  a  peculiar  gift  to  the 
New-Testament  Church.  "  From  Rev.  19.  we  know,"  says 
Bona,  "  that  this  canticum  Hallelujah  has  descended  from 
heaven  into  the  new  Church  of  Christ.^'  Isidore  of  Spain 
deemed  it  too  sacred  to  be  translated  into  any  other  lan- 
guage. It  was  not  always  however  deemed  too  sacred  for 
secular  purposes.  It  was  taught  and  sung  as  a  lullaby  to 
infants  in  the  cradle,  used  as  a  watchword  in  the  camp  and 
a  war  cry  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  employed  by  the  Rom- 
ans in  their  formula  of  their  judicial  oath  :  ''  Truly  as  I  hope 
to  hear  and  to  sing  the  Hallelujah."  More  appropriate  was 
the  use  of  it  made  by  the  inhabitants  of  Bethlehem,  accord- 
ing to  Jerome's  charming  description.  "  In  the  village  of 
Christ  all  is  rural,(rusticitas.)  Silence  reigns  throughout,  ex- 
cept the  singing  of  psalms.  Wherever  you  turn,  the  plough- 
man at  his  work  chants  a  Hallelujah.  The  sweating 
reaper  alleviates  his  toil  with  psalms ;  and  the  keeper  of  the 
vineyard,  pruning  his  vines,  sings  some  of  David's  notes — 
aliquid  Davidicum.  These  are  the  hymns — these  are  what 
are  called  the  amatory  songs  used  in  this  region."  Even 
the  sailor  introduced  the  sacred  word  into  his  boat  song, 
and  chanted  Hallelujah  while  tugging  at  the  oar. 

Curvorum  hinc  chorus  helciariorum, 
Responsantibus  Hallelujah  ripis. 
Ad  Christum  levat.amnicum  celeusma, 
Sic,  sic  psalHte  nauta  et  viator.^ 

The  chorus  hence  of  bending  oarsmen, 
The  shores  re-echoing  Hallelujah, 
To  Christ  address  the  mariner's  song. 
Thus  sing,  O  sailor,  thus,  0  traveller ' 

**  Sidonius  Appollinaris,  Ep.  Lib.  IL  ep.  1^ 


THE  EARLY  (  IIRlSlIANh.  553 

Among  the  authorities  consulted,  wc  find  no  notice  of  any 
thing  Hke  a  P^ahn-hook,  or  collection  of  Churrh  poetry,  ear- 
lier than  the  counrii  of  Laodi(  ea,  (An.  370,)  at  which  the 
following  Canon  was  enacted  :  '*  The  Canonical  Cantors,  or 
r.horisters  alone,    who  stand   on   an  elevated   place  in  the 
Church,  shall   sing   the    psalms,  from    the   parchments  ly- 
ing before  them/'*     The  precise  meaning  and  object  of 
this  Canon  are  not  obvious  ;  and   it  has  accordingly  been 
variously  interpreted.      Whether   the    Choristers,   in   their 
elevated  desk?,  were  required  to  perform  the  entire  mu- 
sical service  of  the  Church  to  the  exclusion  of  the  con- 
gregation, to   avoid  the  discord  often  heard  in  a   promis- 
cuous   assembly,  as  is  sometimes    done  by   the  choirs   in 
modern  da}  s  ;  or  whether  they  were   merely  to  select  the 
tunes  and  lead  the  music,  the  congregation  accompanying 
as  well  as  they  could,  according  to  the  general  practice  of 
our  own  times,  seems  undecided  by  the  ambiguous  expres- 
sion of  the  Canon.    The  latter  however  is  most  probable,  as 
the  universal  practice  of  the  primitive  Church  made  it  the 
duty  and  the  privilege  of  the  whole  Church,  and  not  merely 
of  a  few  select  artists,  to  sing  the  praises  of  God  their  Sav- 
iour in  psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual  songs.     The  choris- 
ters were  required  to  occupy  a  conspicuous  station,  and 
sing,  ttTo  8iq>&i^a^ — from  the  parchments — then  the  common 
material  of  books.     Hence  the  order  was  equivalent  to  er- 
quiring  them  to  sing  the  words  from  the  book  lying  before 
them,  and  not  from  memory,  as  they  would  be  liable  to  re- 
rors  and  inaccuracies.     But  no   description  of  the  book  or 
parchment  however  is  furnished,  and  we  are  left  to  form  our 
opinions  from  conjecture,  or  content  ourselves  without  an 
opinion  on  the  subject.     An  obscure  expression  of  Socrates, 
an  early  historian  of  the  Charch,  has  been  thought  to  refer 
to  this  subject.     The  Arians  had  made  great  efforts  to  reU' 

■^  Pertch's  Kirchen  Historic  Cent.  4.  Pt.  2.  i02. 
4    B 


554  THE  SACRED  POETRV  OF 

der  their  sentiments  popular,  by  solemn  processions,  and 
singing  Antiphonal,  or  responsive  hymns,  in  which  their 
plausible  sentiments  were  garnished  in  all  the  charms  of  poe- 
try and  music,  (uidas  dvTKpuvovS  *|P05  tt^v  'A^Siavi^v  5o^av  (fvvri&ivTSe.) 
Chrysostom,  then  Bishop  of  Constantinople,  sought  to  coun- 
teract their  influence,  not  by  legislative  enactments,  and 
synodical  decrees,  but  by  investing  the  orthodox  services 
with  the  same  popular  attractions.  In  this  work  he  was  as- 
sisted by  a  eunjich  of  the  Imperial  Court,  o  rfuyx^orwv  roCg  tots 
iixvodovs — "  which  words,"  says  Augusti,  ''if  they  do  not  im- 
ply the  composition  of  hymns,  must  be  understood  of  the 
preparation  of  a  collection/'  But  this  interpretation  ap- 
pears to  us  doubtful.  Is  not  C|m.vo(5oug  used  by  dialectic  vari- 
ation, or  mistake  in  transcribing,  instead  of  the  more  com- 
mon hiivujdovs  ?*  and  if  so,  will  not  the  more  natural  inter- 
pretation be — "  who  organized  the  singers"  into  choirs  or 
divisions  for  the  more  attractive  performance  of  the  sacred 
antiphonies  ? 

Of  the  Hymnology  of  the  Latin  Church  nothing  is  knowo 
earlier  than  the  days  of  Hilary,  and  Ambrose,  of  whose  po- 
etical pieces  a  (ew  authentic  specimens  remain.  "  In  the 
mean  time,"  says  Hilary,  "I  have  sent  you  the  morning  and 
evening  Hymns^  that  you  may  always  remember  me.  But 
if,  on  account  of  your  age,  you  are  unable  to  understand  the 
hymns  and  the  letter,  ask  your  mother,  who  desires  that  you 
should  be  born  to  God,  and  renewed  in  your  moral  charac- 
ter, to  explain  them.  That  God,  who  created  you,  may 
guard  and  keep  you,  here  and  through  eternity,  is  my  prayer, 
beloved  daughter."  Other  pieces  in  the  modern  collections 
bear  the  name  of  this  Father ;  but  none  bear  creden- 
tials of  genuineness  so  satisfactory  as  the  Morning  Hymn^ 
beginning,  Lucis  largitor  splendide,  &c.,  and  the  Hymniis 

*  Jones  and  Schneider  omit  uM'Vo^og  entirely  :  u^voj^og  Jones  trans- 
lates, "  hymn-sing-ing-.  musical  virgins:"  Schneider,  '•  Lieder-siin- 
ger" — hymn-sino-er 


TUL   EARLY  CHRISTIANS.  bb5 

Mcrolinus';  Ad  coeli  clara,  &c.    In  the  department  of  Church 
music,  no  ancient  author  has  acquired  so  much  celehrity  as 
Ambrose  ;  more  perhaps  by  his  introduction  of  the  Oriental 
responses  and  alternations,  than  by  the  composition  of  ori- 
ginal hymns.     The  occasion  and  circumstances  of  that  intro- 
duction, are  thus  related  by  Augustine,*  the  personal  friend 
of  Ambrose.    "  Justina,  the  mother  of  the  Emperor  Valenti- 
nian,  was  a  zealous  Arian,  and  for  a  time  persecuted  Ambrose 
and  his  pious  flock  at  Milan,   who  guarded  their  holy  sanc- 
tuary by  night,  prepared  to  yield  their  lives  in  its  defence. 
To  prevent  weariness  and  languor  during  the  long  nights  of 
watchtulness,  psalms  and  hymns  were  sung  according  to  the 
Oriental  mode,  (secundum  morem   Orientalium   partium.) 
It  has  since  been  retained  ;  and  now  (one  year  after,)  is  imi- 
tated in  many,  yea,  in  almost  all  the  Churches  in  other  parts 
of  the    world."      Throughout  the   Western   Churches,   it 
retained   the   name  of  Cantus  Ambrosianus,  and  Ofliciuni 
Ambrosianum.     He  was  also  distinguished  as  a  composer, 
and  his  hymns   became  the  model  of  all  succeeding  poets, 
and  are  still  used  in  translations  in  the  Lutheran,  if  not  in 
other  Protestant  Churches.     He  wrote,  according  to  his  own 
account,  hymns  in  praise  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  to  defend  the 
Catholic  faith  from  the  attacks  of  the  Arians.     His  name  was 
appended  to  many  hymns  composed  in  later  ages,  and  some 
are  still  found  in  the  Catholic  Breviaries,  thus  unjustly  as- 
cribed to  him.     The  genuineness  of  the  grand   Te  Deum, 
which  was  said  to  have  been  composed  on  occasion  of  the 
baptism  of  Augustine,  and  from  which  an  extract   has   al- 
ready been  given,  has  been  questioned  on  the  ground  that  it 
i&  not  mentioned  by  Augustine,  nor  by  Possidius,  the  bio- 
grapher of  Ambrose.     A  considerable  number  still  extant 
are  known  to  be  his,  though  probably  all  have  undergone 
more  or  less  variation  in  the  hands  of  successive  revisers. 
Of  the  hymns  of  Prudentius,  the  Breviaries  have  adopted  four- 

*  Confessionum  Liber  IX*  Cap.  7s 


556  tHE  SACRED  POETRY  OF 

teen,  several  of  which  have  been  highly  esteemed ;  espe- 
cially a  Funeral  Hynnn,  which  was  long  in  common  use 
among  the  Protestants  in  Germany,  both  in  the  original,  and 
in  a  translation,  beginning,  "  Hurt  auf  mit  Trauren  und  Kla- 
gen.^'  In  the  mass  of  Latin  poetry,  used  in  the  Ecclesias- 
tical services  of  modern  times,  there  is  much  that  is  excel- 
lent both  in  matter  and  manner — multas  veras  et  pias  sen- 
tentias,  eleganti  et  erudita  brevitate  comprehensas* — but 
deeply  imbued  with  superstition.  Herder,  overlooking  all 
imperfections  and  errors,  characterizes  it  in  the  following 
glowing  language  :t 

"An  effusion  of  inspiration,  lyrical  fulness,  and  lofty  jubi- 
lant strains  pervade  the  whole  in  such  a  degree,  that  if  we 
did  not  know  the  fact,  we  should  strongly  feel,  that  such  a 
combination  was  not  the  work  of  an  individual,  but  the  col- 
lected treasure  of  nations  and  centuries  in  various  climates 
and  different  situations.  Christianity  indeed  has  a  higher 
object,  than  to  create  poets,  and  its  first  preachers  were  by 
no  means  endowed  with  the  genius  of  poetry.  Their  hymns 
therefore  made  no  pretensions  to  the  elegance  of  classical 
expression,  the  charms  of  sensibility,  nor  indeed  to  any  of 
the  peculiar  characteristics  of  the  poetic  art;  for  they  were 
not  composed  for  the  diversion  of  idle  hours.  But  who  can 
deny  that  they  possess  power  deeply  to  impress  the  heart? 
Those  holy  hymns,  which  have  lived  through  centuries,  and 
in  every  application  are  still  new  and  entire  in  their  influ- 
QY\ce — what  benefactors  have  they  been  to  afflicted  human 
nature!  They  retired  with  the  hermit  to  his  cell — with  the 
oppressed  in  his  grief,  in  his  want,  to  his  grave.  While 
singing  them,  he  forgot  his  woes  ;  the  languid  sorrowful  spi- 
rit caught  an  impulse  that  raised  it  into  another  world,  to 
the  joys  of  heaven.  He  returned  to  the  earth  invigorated, 
went  forward,  suffered,  endured,  exerted  himself  in  silence 

*  Chemnitius — Exam.  Concil.  Trident.  &c, 
f  Briefen  zur  Heforderung  Humanitat. 


IMP  KAKLV  »:Hhl3ilAN.S. 


and  overcame.  What  can  secure  such  a  reward,  or  produce 
such  an  efTect  as  these  hymns  ?  Or  when,  sung  in  the  sacred 
choir,  they  took  deep  hold  of  the  dissipated,  and  envelop- 
ed him  in  thick  clouds  of  amazement — wlien,  under  the 
gloomy  dome,  accompanied  by  the  deep  tones  of  the  bell, 
and  the  penetrating  notes  of  the  organ,  they  announced  the 
jiidgnient  of  God  upon  the  oppressor,  or  the  power  of  the 
Judge  to  the  secret  criminal — when  they  united  the  high 
and  the  low,  and  brought  thetn  together  upon  their  knees, 
and  impressed  eternity  upon  their  souls — what  philosophy, 
what  trifling  songs  of  merriment  or  folly  have  produced  such 
eflfects,  or  ever  can  produce  them?  I  would  not  deny  that 
even  the  language  of  the  monks  in  the  middle  ages  had  much 
that  was  affecting  of  this  kind.  I  have  seen  elegies  and 
hymns  in  the  miserable  dialect  of  these  monks,  that  I  really 
knew  not  how  to  translate.  They  possess  something  so  so- 
lemn, so  devotional,  or  so  gloomy  and  tenderly  pensive,  as 
to  penetrate  directly  to  the  heart.  Scarcely  can  a  man  be 
found  whose  heart  has  not  been  affected  by  the  moving  tones 
of  the  hymn  of  Prudentius — Jam  nioesta  quiesa,  &:c.,  or  pe- 
netrated with  horror  at  the  death  song — Dies  irae,  &c.,  and 
whom  many  other  hymns  of  various  character,  as — ^Veni  re- 
demptor  gentium — Vexilla  regis  prodeunt — Salvete  flores 
jMartyrum — Pange  lingua  gloriosi,  &lc.  have  not  transported 
each  into  its  peculiar  spirit  and  tone,  and  subdued  with  all 
its  ecclesiastical  peculiarities  into  submissive  acquiescence. 
In  one  we  hear  only  the  voice  of  the  suppliant,  another  ad- 
mits the  accompaniment  of  the  harp  ;  in  others  the  trumpet 
resounds,  or  the  deeper  organ  with  its  thousand  tones." 

The  ancient  Ilymnology  is  different  from  the  modern  in 
being  more  exclusively  devotional.  Their  composers  seem 
never  to  have  forgotten  that  God  was  the  grand  object  of 
worship,  and  that  their  praises,  as  well  as  their  prayers,  could 
only  be  appropriate  when  directly  addressed  to  him.  The 
primitive  Church  acknowledged  no  sacred  songs  but  those 
sung  to  the  praise  of  God,  the  glory  of  his  perfections,  the 


558  THE   6ACJRED  fOETRV  OF 

kindness  of  his  condescension,  the  goodness  of  his  Provi- 
dential care,  the  work  of  Redemption — the  glories  and 
works  of  the  Redeemer,  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  the  faith  and  hopes  of  the  pious.  Their  psalmody,  in 
so  far  as  it  was  composed  of  the  Biblical  psalms,  corresponded 
of  course  substantially  with  ours ;  but  their  hymns  were 
made  more  directly  the  expression  of  their  feelings  of  reve- 
rence, gratitude  and  devotion.  Hence  the  hymn  was  always 
deemed  the  most  solemn  act  of  worship.  It  was  not  the 
voice  of  an  individual  confessing  his  sins  and  praying  for 
pardon,  or  giving  thanks  for  mercies  enjoyed;  it  was  not 
the  language  of  a  minister  standing  in  the  holy  place,  and 
offering  prayers  and  thanksgivings  in  the  name  of  the 
Church  ;  but  it  was  the  Church  itself  uttering  in  sympho- 
nious  concert  the  deep  toned  expressions  of  gratitude,  or  the 
ardent  aspirations  of  prayer,  awakening  and  expressing  the 
strongest  emotions,  and  the  holiest  affections  of  which  the 
human  mind  is  capable.  It  was  to  them,  what  it  always 
ought  to  be,  as  an  echo  from  the  world  of  glorified  spirits, 
and  a  prelibation  of  their  glorious  work — a  stammering,  a 
beginning  of  the  "  new  song  before  the  throne,"  in  which 
they  anticipated  spending  a  bhssful  eternity.  Gregory  Na- 
zianzen,  one  of  the  earhest  and  best  of  the  Grecian  Hymno- 
logists,  expresses  his  views  of  the  nature  of  a  hymn  in  these 
terms  : 

'O  (5'  {i^vo^,  an/OS  i|XfJi.6Xy,^,  w^  oi^cn. 

It  is  praise  to  utter  my  own  emotions, 
And  thanksgiving  is  reverent  praise  to  God, 
And  the  hymn,  I  consider,  melodious  thanksgiving. 

Chrysostom  exhibits  the  same  exalted  view  of  the  character 
of  the  genuine  hymn  :  ol  -^^a^M-oi  ^ravTa  gp^outfjv,  oi  U  upoi  TtWhiv 
ou^av  «v^^w';r»vov.  "  The  psalms  embrace  all  subjects,  but  the 
hymns  on  the  contrary  none  merely  human.''     How  differ- 


THE   KARLY   CHKISTIANS.  509 

ent  the  character  of  many  admired  pieces,  whicli  have 
found  a  place  in  our  modern  hymn-books  ;  in  which  there 
is  nothing  but  what  i?  hiiman^  mere  addresses  to  men,  to 
saints,  to  sinners,  exliortations  to  penitence,  faith,  or  good 
works,  without  an  intimation  adapted  to  elevate  the  thoughts 
to  higher  and  holier  object.-,  to  God,  to  heaven.  While 
the  pagan  hymns  were  addressed  to  their  imaginary  deities, 
*'  we,"  says  Origen,*  "  only  sing  hymns  to  him  who  is  called 
God  over  all,  and  his  only  begotten  Son,  the  Word  and  God  ; 
and  we  celebrate  the  praise  (ufjivoufAsv)  of  God  and  his  only 
Begotten,  even  as  do  the  sun,  and  moon,  and  stars,  and  all 
the  heavenly  host;  for  all  these  being  a  divine  chorus,  with 
the  righteous  among  men,  sing  praises  to  God  over  all,  and 
his  only  begotten  Son.''  "And  finally,"  says  another  an- 
cient writer,!  "  who  does  not  know,  that  the  Scriptures  re- 
present Christ  as  God  and  man  ;  and  all  the  psalms  and 
songs  composed  by  believing  brethren  from  the  beginning, 
celebrate  with  divine  honours  (u.avoGo'i  ^soXoyouvTe?)  Christ  the 
Word  of  God."  Thus  were  the  primitive  hymns  enriched 
with  the  treasures  of  doctrinal  truth  ;  and  the  faith  and 
piety  of  the  worshippers|nourished  by  them  into  all  that  vigour 
and  elevation  which  enabled  them  to  endure  hardness  as 
good  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  stem  the  torrent  of  an 
opposing  world,  and  seal  their  testimony  to  the  truth  of  God 
with  their  blood  and  their  lives.  May  the  same  spirit  fill 
the  hearts  of  future  composers,  and  the  same  measure  of 
faith  and  devotion  animate  the  bosoms  of  all  who  sing  the 
songs  of  Zion. 

'  Contra  Celsum  Lib.  VIII.  c.  G7. 

t  Quoted  in  Euseb.  Hist.  Eccl.  Lib.  V.  c.  28.  Tlie  word  fJsoXyouv- 
Tes  as  used  by  the  primitive  Christians  in  reference  to  Christ  always 
means  reckoning,  or  celebrating  as  Divine,  as  God.  Hence  ako 
©foXoyi'a  was  used  for  the  doctrine  of  the  divinity  of  Christ;  and 
Gregory  Narzianzen  was  honoured  with  the  title  of  6  0;o>..oyos  for 
his  zeal  and  fidelity  in  maintaining  this  doctrine, 


EXAMINATIOX  OF  THE  REVIEW  OF  THE 

AMERICAN  EDUCATION  SOCIETY. 


TO    THE    EDITORS    OF    THE    BIBLICAL    REPERTORY  ; 

Messrs.  Editors, — In  the  third  number  of  the  new  series 
of  your  Work,  dated  July,  1829,  1  have  met  with  a  piece, 
on  the  General  Assembly's  Board  of  Education,  and  the 
American  Education  Society,  which  has  deeply  interested 
my  feelings.  Whoever  the  writer  of  that  piece  may  be,  I 
take  the  liberty  to  tender  him  my  most  sincere  and  hearty 
thanks  for  the  very  valuable  considerations  which  he  has 
suggested,  at  the  commencement  of  his  Strictures,  respecting 
the  present  aspect  of  the  moral  and  religious  world,  and  the 
duties  and  obligations  of  Christians  which  result  from  it.  I 
do  most  entirely  concur  with  all  his  remarks,  respecting  the 
past  failure  of  the  churches  to  perform  their  duty  in  regard 
to  spreading  the  knowledge  of  the  Gospel  abroad ;  and  in 
regard  to  their  error  in  seeking,  at  any  time,  to  sustain  them- 
selves by  leaning  on  the  arm  of  civil  power.  For  one,  I 
rejoice  that  God  has  taught  them  so  instructive  lessons  on 
this  subject ;  for  we  may  now  venture  to  hope,  in  this  coun- 
try at  least,  that  she  will  not  again  seek  for  help  from  a 
quarter  which  will  never  afford  it;  and  which,  if  at  any 
time  it  condescends  to  put  on  the  appearance  of  aJBTordiug  it, 
exacts  more  as  a  return  for  its  favours,  than  conscience  can 
allow,  or  the  interests  of  religion  permit  without  injury. 

The  picture  of  the  religious  wants  of  our  country  ;  the 
calls  for  pastoral  labours,  from  thousands  of  places  that 
are  destitute  of  the  word  of  life  ;  the  interest  which  Chris- 
tians are  taking  in  this  subject;  the  importance  of  immedi' 
ately  furnishing  our  new  settlements  with  faithful  spiritual 
guides  ;  the  necessity  of  having  these  well  instructed  and 
discipUned  for  their  great  work  ;  and  the  imperious  duty  of 
all  Christians,  who  are  praying  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  to 


BIBLICAL   KEPKRTORV. 
A  JOURNAX 


OT 


aii^i^i^i^m  ms^simik'^iima 


AND 


THEOLOGICAL    SCIENCE^ 


CONDUCTED  BY   AN  ASSOCIATION  OF 
GENTLEMEN. 


-*•©•-— 


Vol.  v.]  XEW  SERIES,  Vol.   I. 


PRINCETON,   NEW-JERSEY. 

HUGH   MADDEN,   PRINTER. 

1829. 


CONTENTS. 


FLATT'S  DISSKRTATION   ON  THE  DEITY   OF  CHRIST, 

TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  LATIN— Section  I.         -  7 

AN  INTRODUCTORY  LECTURE  DELIVERED  IN  THE 
THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY  AT  PRINCETON,   NOV. 

7,  1828,  by  C.  Hod-e 73 

3     THE  BIBLE  A  KEY  TO  THE  PHENOMENA  OF  THE  NATU- 
RAL WORLD 99 

i^/ CHURCH  GOVERNMENT  IN  PRUSSIA     -        -         -        -         121 
BRIEF  NOTICES  OF  NEW  PUBLICATIONS      ...        1:34 
^    FLATT'S   DISSERTATION    ON  THE   DEITY  OF  CHRIST, 

TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  LATIN— Section  II.        -         159 

THE  MOSAIC  HISTORY  ACCORDANT  WITH  THE  EXIST- 
ING STATE  OF  THINGS 1B9 

HISTORY  AND  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  OF  THE  DRUSES     210 

REVIEW  OF  FOUR  DISCOURSES  ON  THE  SACRIFICE 
AND  PRIESTHOOD  OF  JESUS  CHRIST,  AND  ON 
THE  ATONEMENT  AND  REDEMPTION,  by  John  Pye 

Smith,  D.  D. 225 

/{/  WITSIUS  ON  THE  COUNCILS  OF  THE  HEBREWS,  TRANS- 
LATED AND  ABRIDGED 252 

/  /   REVIEW  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  ERASMUS,  by  Adolph  MUller         267 
/^  REVIEW  OF  A  HEBREW  CHRESTOIVTATHY,  by  Moses  Stuart    294 

REVIEW  OF  JAHN'S  HISTORY  OF  THE  HEBREW  COM- 
MONWEALTH, translated  by  Calvin  E.  Stowe      -         -         307 

EXAMINATION  OF  BROWN'S  THEORY  OF  CAUSE  AND 

EFFECT 326 

THE   GENERAL    ASSEMBLY'S  BOARD  OF   EDUCATION, 

AND  THE  AMERICAN  EDUCATION  SOCIETY     -        344 

REVIEW  OF  PLANS  FOR  THE  GOVERNMENT  AND  LIB- 
ERAL INSTRUCTION  OF  BOYS  IN  LARGE  NUxMBERS 
AS  PRACTISED  AT  HAZELWOOD  SCHOOL         -        370 

CHURCH  MUSIC  CONSIDERED  IN  REFERENCE  TO  ITS 

ORIGINAL  DESIGN  AND  PRESENT  STATE  -        410 


640 


CONTENTS, 


ON  THE  SONSHIP  OF  CHRIST 429 

REMARKS   ON   THE   GENERAL    ASSEMBLY'S   CORRES- 
PONDENCE WITH  FOREIGN  CHURCHES    -        -        481 
REVIEW    OF    THE    DIFFICULTIES    OF    ROMANISM,    by 

George  Stanley  Faber  B.  D. 500 

THE  SACRED  POETRY  OF  THE  EARLY  CHRISTIANS        521 
PROFESSOR  STUART'S  EXAMINATION  OF  THE  REVIEW 

OF  THE  AMERICAN  EDUCATION  SOCIETY         -        560 
REMARKS    OF    THE    EDITORS    ON    THE    FOREGOING 

STRICTURES. 60^ 


f 


Bi^r 


■-i0^ 


y,«:\ 


'     -■^^' 


